


Eldon Academy

by Odoacro



Category: Original Work
Genre: Adventure & Romance, Boarding School, Eventual Romance, Friendship, Large Breasts, Magic, Multi, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-29
Updated: 2020-10-21
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:53:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 45,445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26180698
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Odoacro/pseuds/Odoacro
Summary: Lucien Thatcher is an orphan thief who by some miracle got a stipend to study at Eldon Academy, the most prestigious magic school in the Cazarian Empire. This story will detail his struggles and achievements, as well as the many colorful people he'll meet along the way as he tries to find his place in a world of magic and political intrigue.
Comments: 32
Kudos: 38





	1. A Thief Among Nobles

On the continent of Eles there are many countries, though it is primarily dominated by two superpowers: the Cazarian Empire and the Samaran Federation. It is in the former of the two, in the southwestern part of the continent, where we will direct our attention. 

The Cazarian Empire has a long history, filled with both moments of greatness and glory, and periods of strife. Currently, peace reigns and the great nation is experiencing an era of prosperity, with technological advancements being made, more people learning how to read, and trade with other countries on the continent increasing. 

However, as with any country with a rich history, there are strong forces which prefer the status quo. The Empire has a powerful noble class, most of which value tradition and customs highly. Perhaps nowhere within this great nation is this more apparent than in Eldon Academy, the most prestigious school in the country for studies of the magical arts. It is a boarding school for young adults, and the vast majority of them are sons and daughters of the Empire's most prominent and powerful families. 

Located on a peninsula to the west, it is a fairly isolated set of buildings overlooking the ocean. It takes more than thirty minutes to go to a nearby town which, while not particularly impressive on its own, does have a train station with a direct line to the Imperial capital, though it's a trip that takes well over two hours. Maybe the location was chosen with this reason in mind, to distance the students from any distractions.

Eldon Academy does not merely teach magic, however. Students are also expected to study advanced courses in other subjects as well to make them well-rounded and productive members of society once they graduate. It is an institution that offers great liberties and possibilities provided you study hard and perform well.

This school is a whole new world for Lucien Thatcher. As a twenty-year-old who grew up on the streets without so much as a single coin to his name, he represents the very antithesis of the image of an Eldon Academy student. Where everyone around him has a historic and important family, he has none, and neither does he have any knowledge of the inner workings of the rich and the powerful. While his new classmates learned etiquette or drank tea, he stole so that he could live another day and maybe one day be able to buy or build his own house, which would make it that much easier to find a real job.

However, this is not to say that Lucien is unskilled, in fact it's quite the opposite. Sometimes, the stars simply align, and things happen as if preordained by higher powers. One day, Lucien had been using magic to pick the pockets of unsuspecting passers-by, which was the simplest way of getting enough money for the day. This way, he also honed his magical skills daily, and he developed several techniques on his own. When he had spotted a particularly stout and important-looking gentleman who seemed to carry more gold than he knew what to do with, Lucien had tried to use one of those skills, but was caught by the man's bodyguards. 

Having expected to be thrown in jail, Lucien had been surprised when the stout man had enthusiastically shouted 'bully!' and proclaimed how impressed he was at the young thief's skills and spirit. The man introduced himself as Lord Holton, minister of education, and asked for a more thorough demonstration of Lucien's magical abilities. After several extensive interviews, a process that lasted several days, the orphan found himself with a stipend to attend the most prestigious school in the country, whose first semester would start in merely two months. 

There was one catch, however: Lucien had to remain in the top twenty percent of his year if he wanted to remain a student and keep his stipend. A condition the school had no doubt suggested because they thought it would be impossible for an orphan on the streets to compete with the great Cazarian elite. Regardless, books, clothes, uniforms, money, and a room were all provided to Lucien so that he may begin his preparations well in advance, a new task he threw himself into with a focus that almost scared himself. 

And when the new semester started, he was about as ready as he possibly could be. The first weeks were hard, but he kept a low profile and stayed out of trouble. And that is where our story begins, one week before the first series of tests of the year.

* * * * *

Lucien was still not used to wearing his school uniform, or any clothes of such high quality for that matter. Despite the days getting hotter they still had to wear long black pants, a white button up shirt that included a red tie, and a blue blazer on top of that. While he had been provided with several identical outfits, he was still afraid of staining, sweating, or tearing the fabric somehow. The clothes felt nice, but strangely modern given how old establishment was, but apparently uniforms had always been a part of its history and modernized to suit the times.

Sitting inside the large, impressive library, Lucien looked out the window and watched the rain pour. Rain was the enemy of all thieves, as it made people stay indoors, and the people who remained outside had their clothes stick closer to their person, making it that much harder to get hold of their valuables without them realizing. He shook his head and ran a hand through his spiky, black hair. If he did well next week, perhaps that life would be behind him for real. 

It was difficult to focus on the book when he was so nervous, however. The teachers had dropped hints that there would be practical tests as well, and he had confidence as far as his physical skills were concerned. What bothered him was all the things he had to read about. History, politics, Cazarian, and even philosophy...the last part was particularly challenging for him, with the closest thing he had ever gotten to philosophy before being street musicians and half-starving artists who had gone to the same cheap inns as him.

"'Are we real or not?' I don't get it..." He muttered, resting his head in his palm as he read in the blue philosophy book on the table in front of him. "If you're unsure why don't you pinch yourself to find out?" Placing both of his hands on his face, he gingerly rubbed his eyes and cheeks. It was getting rather late, but he had to finish this chapter if he wanted to keep up with his own schedule.

"Having a hard time, thief?" Someone suddenly said, standing right next to his table. Lucien's past and identity had been revealed to everyone with the motivation that, since practically everyone on Eldon Academy came from notable, famous families who you could easily read up on, his situation had to be made clear so as to not give him an unfair advantage. A dubious claim to say the least.

Removing his hands from his face and opening his eyes, he saw Victoria Ashbury, one of his classmates. The Ashbury family was a particularly powerful family, rich and influential, and Victoria was the eldest child of the current head of the family. Rumor had it there were talks of her marrying into the Imperial family, and coming from such a prestigious family, such a thing was definitely within the realm of possibility. 

It also helped that Victoria was almost impossibly beautiful; she was a little below average height, with long, blood red hair styled into two braids. Her eyes were large, round, and crystal blue, shifting between looking as cool as ice and burning like a cold flame depending on her mood. She was slender and moved with elegance, looking better than anyone else wearing the female version of the school uniform. She had the same white shirt, red tie and blue blazer like Lucien, but she had a very short, dark red plaided skirt instead of pants, and usually wore either black or white thigh high socks to go along with it. Naturally, as if the gods hadn't piled enough gifts onto her already, she had a pair of very large breasts, so big that they made her tie look a fair bit shorter than Lucien's.

Even though Victoria had been born with all the perks available to mere mortals, the former thief found her difficult to be around. She was demanding and haughty, as proven by her going out of her way to bother him now.

"Yeah, and I would appreciate any help you could give me." Lucien replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "You seem like someone who knows her philosophy."

Her laughter was fake. She put the back of her hand several centimeters in front of her mouth and moved her shoulders in an exaggerated fashion. "Hohoho...why yes, I most certainly do. However, I don't know how much help I would be able to give you. It's a subject that requires the student to have a certain degree of...sophistication."

Without realizing it, he clenched his toes in his shoes. "Why not give it a try? I might surprise you."

"I don't know, I'm not sure I can ever be surprised after learning Eldon Academy took in pickpockets from the slums." She sighed, again in an exaggerated fashion. "Why, when the instructors told us of your situation, I came close to fainting."

"And imagine my shock when I learned the Empire is run by spoiled, entitled brats." Lucien murmured just loud enough for Victoria to hear him. He returned his attention to his books, hoping she would leave.

But he wasn't so lucky. In the first display of genuine emotion, she scowled at him and raised her voice when next she spoke. "My family has contributed to the peace and prosperity of our great nation for generations while you were stealing from its hard-working citizens!" 

The black-haired man was about to stand up when he heard a familiar voice calling out to both of them from behind a bookshelf. "Woah there, dear classmates, let's all settle down before we start throwing lightning bolts in the library." Out came a handsome, tanned, blond man with a relaxed smile. It was Francesco di Mare, a nobleman from the southern territories. Perhaps thanks to having two older sisters as well as an older brother, and coming from a smaller province, Lucien found Francesco to be the most agreeable student he had met in school. 

Approaching the table, the blond man continued, an easy smile still gracing his attractive features. His voice was smooth, not because he was trying to calm people down but because that was simply how he spoke. "I don't think anyone here has any time for petty arguments right before exam week, eh?"

Victoria turned around quickly, her braids swaying dramatically, spreading a strong scent of roses and high quality bath oils. "Francesco." She began, her tone a mixture of hot and cold. "Your meddling is neither requested nor needed."

Francesco's smile never faltered, in fact he only seemed to get more confident after she spoke. "Oh?" He said playfully, then stretched out his arm and gestured towards the large library room. "I believe your fellow students disagree, Lady Ashbury."

Indeed, the little squabble had drawn annoyed looks from the students who were still sitting in the library, displeased at having their reading interrupted. There were about five students on the bottom floor and three on the top floor; it was far from full, but that didn't warrant a petty fight.

And that was enough for Victoria to back down. With a light blush on her cheeks, she let out a 'hmph!' and then walked out, her steps fast and accompanied by a clacking sound coming from her high heels that were definitely not part of the uniform. 

Francesco chuckled as he sat down on the opposite side of Lucien, looking pleased with himself. "I've always wanted to look that cool, you know? Plus, she was kind of asking for it."

Lucien couldn't help but to smile. "Thank you very much." 

Waving his hand dismissively, the blond man's grin widened. "It's cool, man, I didn't do much. Besides, it sure beats looking for books I'll eventually have to read." He grimaced. "I'm captain of the fencing team; what do I need books for?"

"I don't suppose you know anything about philosophy, then? I'm kind of stuck." Lucien admitted. "I'm not picking this course next semester."

"Ooh, I like that, you're already planning ahead despite the challenges in your way!" Francesco raised a clenched fist for emphasis, then took the blue book, but didn't start reading it immediately. "I'll be looking forward to seeing how you'll do, I really mean that. If nothing else because you're the most interesting student in our class, and you never want to discuss 'proper etiquette' with me." 

The black-haired man didn't reply due to his classmate starting to read the very second he finished his sentence. He hummed to himself and nodded, then put the book down. "Existentialism eh? Believe it or not, but I'm actually not much of a philosophy guy. However, yeah, I know a bit about this. My province is big on poetry and philosophy so you pick up on a few things."

"Oh?"

He stretched out an arm along the backrest. "Yeah man, 'existence precedes essence', anxiety over living in a potentially absurd or meaningless world. Pretty somber, but there are some positive bits in there too, like human individuals themselves deciding their goals and determine their own worth, not by whatever classes or other categories we might belong to."

Raising an eyebrow, Lucien looked back down in his book. "Would they teach that here?" Was his immediate question.

Laughing, Francesco shrugged. "Maybe Victoria should read some more existentialism philosophy, eh?" He stood up. "Look, you shouldn't read this stuff without proper sleep or food in your belly, unless you're looking for a dangerously authentic philosopher experience I suppose. I'm heading to the dining hall, wanna come with? You can pester me more about philosophy there."

* * * * *

And so came the dreaded exam week, creating an almost palpable tension on campus. The distant sound of the roaring waves of the sea seemed almost like an omen, and many young nobles and scions of rich merchant families skipped out on breakfast on the first day of the week. The grassy fields at the school were coated in a thin layer of frost as though this particular week had postponed the coming of spring, and there was a light crunching sound to Lucien's steps as he walked towards the imposingly large main building where the first test would be held.

Unlike his peers, he would not receive a mild scolding if he didn't perform well. If Lord Holton was to be believed, the school was serious in their threat to kick Lucien out should he not perform according to the ridiculously high expectations set on him. If he failed, then he had only a small pouch of gemstones as his emergency fund, and that wouldn't last him long; he would be back on the street before long, unless he joined the army or a mercenary group, but if rumors were to be believed, people like him were not much more appreciated there than at Eldon Academy.

Even so, he had prepared as well as anyone in his position could. Should he fail, then it would have been impossible for him to succeed in the first place. The knowledge that he had done all that he could calmed him somewhat, and he left the beautiful gardens outside and headed into the main edifice. 

Here, portraits of previous deans adorned the walls, and the first floor boasted both an old suit of armor, a statue of the first Cazarian emperor, and beautiful columns. One could easily feel the history of this place, and the Empire's taste for extravagance was clearly present even hundreds of years back in time when the school was first founded. The classrooms weren't decorated as lavishly, but there could be beautiful calligraphy or impressive paintings on the walls in some of the bigger rooms. 

The 'main' classes were separated into groups of twenty-five, with each class having their own teacher in magic responsible for their development in the mystical arts. The other subjects were chosen at the students' leisure, or in Lucien's case, partially decided on well in advance. He knew no one well in the philosophy class, which was the first test of the week for him. There would be four regular tests and then a final magic examination on the last weekday. As Francesco had put it, 'the other tests are just appetizers'. Appetizers or no, they would still count into the accumulated grade which would decide Lucien's future - doing well in one subject could make up for performing worse in another.

Sitting in the corner of the philosophy classroom, his hands shook slightly while he waited for the test to be delivered, but he forced himself to stay calm; he did not wish to draw any attention to himself, especially not by having a panic attack. 

When the test was finally handed out, Lucien was relieved to see that he at least understood the questions. Francesco's knowledge on the subject, as well as many hours spent with that infernal blue book, had paid off. Now all he had to do was express himself well, which was the second part of the challenge. Words flowed from his pencil, and there was precious little time for quality control. At times he felt sagely, knowing exactly what to say, while sometimes he felt like he was just pretending like he knew the answers and hoped the teacher would be none the wiser. Once the test was over, he felt exhausted, went to the dining hall for lunch, then headed home for more studying.

Such was his life four days in a row, his only real companions being anxiety and headaches. When it was finally time for the final test of the week, Lucien felt excited to do something more practical, a feeling that washed away any nervousness. This would be a chance to gauge his classmates' abilities and compare them to his own. He may not be the most well-read man on the campus, nor did he know all the intricacies of magic, but he had had to rely on his abilities and hone them in order to stay alive and free, and that knowledge gave him confidence. He had one or two skills he was confident could be applied to many different situations and win the teacher's favor.

His teacher had called them to an outdoor training ground a fair bit ouside of the campus. Training dummies made of straw held up by a wooden cross were lined up near a sturdy, beige wall that looked like it was built to withstand virtually any magical attack. The area within the walls was spacious, with dirt paths and short grass providing a solid foothold. There were some trees and shrubs at the center as well, making it almost look like one of the many parks in and around the school on a smaller scale. 

"Good morning, man." Francesco lazily said behind Lucien, his steps light despite yawning loudly.

"Ah, good morning, Francesco. How did your tests go?" The black-haired man asked, noticing more students arriving. They would no doubt start as soon as the teacher showed up.

Crossing his arms and leaning against the thick wall, Francesco yawned again. His blue blazer was half open and his tie was loose. "I'll pass, and that'll be good enough for me. I can compensate for any academic shortcomings here."

Lucien smiled. "You read my mind."

Francesco grinned. "See, this is why I like you." However, he soon stretched his arms and rolled his shoulders, his face growing more serious. "Looks like we're about to begin."

Their magic teacher, Mrs Reed, was a woman in her mid fifties of average height and long brown hair, a skilled magician and a competent teacher. However, while she didn't give off a meek impression, Lucien was concerned that people like Victoria would be able to influence her to do their bidding, a fear that was not assuaged by the scion of the Ashbury family accompanying their teacher to the training grounds. 

Victoria looked as beautiful as ever, walking with confident steps. Her dark red braids rested in front of her shoulders as usual, and they bobbed up and down just a little bit with every step she took, just like her impressive breasts. Despite wearing the blue blazer properly, unlike Francesco, her chest protruded noticeably. She would no doubt turn even more heads when they were allowed to switch to the lighter summer uniforms.

Mrs Reed cleared her throat and raised her hand, calling the students who were spread out on the grounds to her. "Ladies and gentlemen, you have worked hard this week, but I'm afraid you can't relax just yet." She began, then confirmed that everyone was present and accounted for. "This will be the first real test of your skills in magic, and I expect my class to be the best of the best. If I find that you have wasted my time, I will be sure to let your families know."

There was a pause and some awkward shuffling of certain students' feet. Lucien felt unaffected by the remark, as he had no family to disappoint; his failures would have more dire consequences than that, but that had also been established since day one.

"Good thing I'm already a disappointment." Francesco whispered, drawing a few chuckles from those around him. 

Mrs Reed's eyes fell on him. "Well now, Mr di Mare, it sounds like you've volunteered to be first in line for the first part of the examination."

"So it's a multi parter eh?" Francesco said, putting his hands inside his pockets. His blond hair swayed in the wind, and he straightened his back. "I did speak out of turn, so I suppose it's only fair I go first." 

That answer seemed to please their instructor more, as she smirked and looked over to the target dummies next to the wall. Taking a few steps forward, she channeled magical energies to the tip of her index finger and then gestured towards the ground, drawing a straight line, and the earth followed the motion of her finger, making a thin but noticeable crack in the ground. It wasn't particularly powerful magic, but it still assured that the students would pay attention.

"The rules are simple: you are to destroy or knock down a single one of the training dummies over there without crossing this line. You have five minutes each." Mrs Reed explained, turning to the students. "No more, no less."

There was a nervous muttering among the students, with several of them whispering amongst themselves, either to exchange ideas or worries. Victoria kept her arms crossed under her big bust, her face difficult to read. The unusually cold spring morning sent a chilling breeze to grace the training grounds, accompanied by the sounds the waves of the sea in the distance. 

As usual, Francesco was the one to speak up first. "Well then, I was supposed to be first, correct?" He took a few steps forward, looking over his targets in the distance. They must've been placed as far away as professional sharpshooting targets, or close enough that it made no difference, with two or three meters between each other. 

Lucien began formulating his strategy in his mind, looking around for anything that may help him with his task. This would be the perfect opportunity for everyone in the class to see each other's abilities and strategies in action. It occurred to him that this was the first part out of who knew how many different tests - that meant it would be possible for this to turn into a competition where showcasing their strengths and weaknesses would put them at a disadvantage. A good tactician always kept aces hidden in their hole, after all.

"You can do it, Francesco!" A girl called out, to which Francesco turned around with his most suave smile.

"With your support I can surpass any challenge, Rosa." He pointed at her with both hands as though he had been waiting for a comment like this all his life. It was hard not to be captured by his natural charisma, unless your name was Victoria, who remained silent and stoic.

"The clock is ticking, Mr di Mare." The instuctor reminded him in a neutral tone. 

Francesco pulled out his sword from its scabbard. It was a longsword, but it looked to be made of light materials given the ease of which he held it. He held it towards one of the target dummies in the distance, aiming at it as though he was wielding a bow. Then, he raised the sword above his head and made a clean cut in the air, sending a scythe of magical wind towards his target, slicing it in two. 

A cheer erupted from the class, and Francesco sheathed his sword and bowed twice. "Thank you, thank you, you're too kind!" He walked up to Lucien and slapped the black-haired man on the back. "Aaah, this sure beats regular tests, huh?"

"Well done." Mrs Reed said, interrupting Lucien's response and writing something in her notebook without looking up. "Next up is Lady Ashbury."

Victoria took a few steps forward and stretched her arms, and before anyone could voice any support or whisper amongst themselves, she raised her hand and launched a small ball of fire towards the straw dummy, hitting it straight in the chest and obliterating it near instantly. She flicked one of her braids and stepped back while the ground where the dummy had once been was still burning. Not a single ember had touched any of the other targets, meaning that her power output had been measured perfectly in addition to her impressive accuracy.

Aside from Francesco's whistling, there were few comments other than the occasional 'incredible...' or 'how did she do that...?'. In spite of the impressive display, no one congratulated her directly.

The test continued, with most passing within the first three minutes of their given time. One by one the students were called up, showcasing their abilities and approaches to the problem presented to them. Some shook the earth, others bound shadows, and one tried to mimic Victoria's direct approach but without being able to hit or inflict enough damage to the training dummy.

Lucien studied his classmates' moves carefully, the way they walked, what spells they used, their temperament and their success rate. While he didn't know all of their names yet due to having mostly kept to himself, he made mental notes of the ones who seemed particularly powerful. Naturally, this included Francesco and especially Victoria, but there were a few others worth to keep in mind. 

Be it by accident or the teacher's whim, Lucien had his name called up last. 

"Lucien Thatcher." Mrs Reed read aloud, skipping any title or honorific. She looked him over, her expression revealing nothing about the thoughts inside her head. "It's your turn and the time starts now." She stated simply, preparing to take notes in her notebook. 

"Yes, ma'am." He replied while trying to keep his annoyance at the lack of formality shown only to him out of his voice, then walked in the opposite direction of the target dummies and the line that had been drawn in the ground, much to the surprise of his classmates.

Victoria was the first to speak up. "What are you plotting, thief? Your target is over there!" She presumably gestured towards the sturdy wall which carried faint traces of the students' various spells, but Lucien had his back turned to both them and to her.

Their instructor remained silent, as did Lucien. He merely walked up to a bundle of rope he had spotted while waiting for his turn, took it, then he went back to the line. He estimated that around half a minute had passed at this point. The wind had died down a bit, thankfully, but there was still a cold breeze passing through the training grounds. For his plan to work, it couldn't be too windy.

The fact that this was a test in multiple stages bothered him. No matter how he looked at it, this first challenge was too simple for the majority of students here. Therefore, there must have been another purpose to it. The less energy he wasted and the fewer tricks he showed, the safer he would be, he assumed. 

Tying a noose at the end of a rope, Lucien began twirling the newly created lasso, feeling the weight of it in his hands. And then, he tossed it as far as he could. 

Naturally, no rope just lying around like that would be as long as he needed it to be, but that is where his magic would come into play. By focusing energies into the hand that was still holding onto the end of the rope, he extended the strands of the rope while simultaneously lengthening his toss, keeping the rope stable as it traveled far longer than any person would've been able to throw it without using magic.

The noose looked like an airborne snake searching for its prey, at the ready to attack at a moment's notice. It traveled the entire distance, across the trimmed grass and dirt paths below it, until it reached its target. It wrapped around the straw neck of the training dummy, and now all Lucien had to do was tug at the rope and bring it down. 

It fell to the ground, making no sound that could be heard over that distance.

Mrs Reed scoffed and scribbled something down in her notebook and said, "Very good."

Francesco wrapped his arm around the black-haired man and screamed far too close to his ear, "That was awesome, man! I would never have thought of that!" 

Smiling, Lucien merely said, "Thank you."

Unexpectedly, a very short, silver-haired woman congratulated Lucien as well. She crossed her arms and smirked, and simply said, "Sweet, very clever."

Victoria simply glared at him, arms still crossed. While she remained quiet, she made no secret of her disappointment that Lucien performed so well. Her clear blue eyes focused intently on him, and her grip on her own arms had tightened. If he made her any angrier he wondered if she'd let out fire from her fingertips and burn her own blazer.

"Alright, everyone, I hope you enjoyed the warmup because now the real challenge begins!" The instructor said, closing her notebook for dramatic effect. Lucien was pulled back to reality, having temporarily forgotten that there would be at least one more part of the test, and by the sound of the groans around him, he hadn't been alone in that. Mrs Reed continued, "What we are going to do next is equally simple but perhaps a bit more exciting for you all: you are going to duel each other."

Duel? As in one on one combat? Lucien had expected them to be pitted against each other somehow, but this was more direct than he had anticipated. 

"Now, of course, we don't want you killing or injuring yourselves, which is why we are here in these training grounds. There is a barrier here that limits any and all negative effects of magic that targets another person by greatly improving your magical resistances." Mrs Reed explained, demonstrating by producing a flame from her finger and pressing it against her palm. She winced, but that was about it. "As you can see, I am unharmed, but it sure still stings. If you people start zapping each other with lightning, it will hurt even if you don't manage to injure anyone, so keep that in mind. You have ten minutes each, you will only fight one battle, I decide who fights whom, and if either of you passes out, is rendered unable to continue fighting, or I tell you to stop, the match ends. Any questions?"

Lucien raised his hand.

"Yes, Lucien?" 

"Do we have to use magic?" He asked. "Or rather, are we restricted to only using magic?"

Their instructor shook her head, her long brown hair swaying as she did so. "Good question. No, kicks, punches and the like are allowed provided you get close enough and the match is still going. Naturally, you are not allowed to use any sharp tools or anything of the sort, but otherwise the environment is also at your disposal."

There was a murmur among the class as people began discussing potential opponents and strategies. Some wished to fight their friends while others could never see themselves doing so. Others were surprised at the combat-oriented nature of the examination, but were told that Eldon Academy had provided the Cazarian Empire with the finest mage-knights since its founding, and so it only made sense that this was how their magical abilities would be tested. Even in these peaceful times many of the students were considering joining the imperial army as the skills they acquired at the academy would allow them to advance highly and quickly. 

Suddenly, Victoria took a step forward as a now familiar scent of roses wafted through the air. She was still wearing her high heels, which made her merely half a head shorter than Lucien, and her eyes were brimming with dedication. "I wish to fight the thief." She said, silencing everyone else. Her tone hinted that she would not back down from this.

Lucien looked to his side, but the redhead wouldn't even deign to look him in the eyes as she issued the challenge. Her arrogance and conceit angered him, but he knew full well that in a battle with her, his chances would be slim. 

"Lady Ashbury, I believe I said I am the one who decides who fights whom." Mrs Reed began, but then looked at the two would-be opponents. "However, I had already planned on asking you two to battle in the first place anyway, and as such I have no objections. How about you, Lucien?"

Everyone's eyes were upon him. If he backed away now, he would never hear the end of it - and he wasn't even sure if the rules permitted him to ask for another opponent. At the same time, if he ended up humiliated by Victoria, not only would he become a laughing stock, but he would most assuredly not score high enough to remain at the academy. As such, there was only one possible answer, even though his legs were trembling.

"None." 

"Woah woah woah!" Francesco spoke up, sounding worried. "C'mon now, Lucien is less experienced than all of us here, and you saw what Lady Ashbury did to that training dummy; where is the honor in this?!" 

"In battle, you will eventually meet someone much more powerful than you, Mr di Mare." Mrs Reed said sagely, not moved by his passionate plea. "If, as you say, Lady Ashbury is that much stronger than Lucien, then it is up to him to find a way to exploit that strength."

Blinking, Lucien wondered if this was the instructor's way of providing an indirect hint. However, her reply also more or less confirmed what he had suspected: there was no way out of this if he wanted to remain here. Turning to his friend, he tried to mimic the blond man's usual confidence and said, "Relax, man, I'll be fine."

For the first time in the short while the former thief had known him, Francesco didn't seem to know what to say.

The other students were told to move closer to the wall while Lucien, Victoria, and Mrs Reed remained at the center of the training grounds. Francesco had been the last to leave, wishing the black-haired man good luck and to 'hit her where it hurts'. Another cold gust of wind shook the branches of the few trees present, the newly sprouted green leaves sounding almost as though they were shivering. How Victoria could leave a fair bit of her snow white thighs exposed between her black thigh high socks and her red mini skirt was beyond Lucien.

The redhead's braids danced in the wind, her eyes now staring straight ahead towards Lucien as though their instructor wasn't there. Was there hatred in her eyes, or merely arrogance, pride, and a competitive spirit? It was hard to understand what she was thinking exactly, but her objective was clear: she wanted to guarantee Lucien had no chance to remain at Eldon Academy.

Lucien met her gaze, trying his best to remain calm, but she was getting under his skin. Perhaps that was her intention, but whatever the case he wanted to wipe that smugness off of her. Ever since coming here he had had to keep a low profile and endure sneering remarks and worse, yet no one had been this open and brazen in their distaste of him. Back on the street he had always tried to avoid fighting if he could, be it with the city guard or other thieves, and he valued his ability to remain calm, but it was difficult in the face of a person like this.

"Any questions about the rules, you two?" Mrs Reed asked, painfully aware of the tension between the two students. "I'll remind you that you are not supposed to hurt each other, or worse. Do I make myself clear?" 

"Crystal." Lucien replied.

"Certainly, Instructor." Victoria said.

Taking a deep breath and muttering something under her breath, Mrs Reed said, "Very well, bow before each other, yes, good, and now, on the count of three. One...two...begin!"

Having gone through what little he knew of Victoria's fighting style in his head, Lucien immediately dived behind a tree, narrowly avoiding a fireball that was hurled in his direction at a blazing speed. Judging by her personality and previous showcasing of her abilities, she was deadly at range and preferred getting these matters over with quickly. No doubt the longer he could last, the more frustrated she would get, and then she would make mistakes...he hoped.

Mrs Reed kept a comfortable distance, extinguishing Victoria's fireball once it was clear it wouldn't hit so as to limit any damage done to their surroundings. 

There was a moment of quiet, which Lucien hadn't expected – if she came close to him he could try knocking her out, but he doubted she would be so careless. 

Then, he saw what looked like snakes of fire appearing from both his left and his right. Damn, she tried to tie him up from behind the tree while maintaining a safe distance!

Throwing himself to the ground, he rolled away from the tree, but the weaving fire didn't let up just yet. Getting back on his feet, he turned his attention to Victoria, who was controlling the two snakes with one hand each. Her expression was lit up by the fire she was producing, her eyes glimmering like the sea reflecting the rays of the sun, which would have looked beautiful if not for the sneering expression and cocky smile that accompanied it. 

Having to act fast, Lucien dashed towards her. If her hands were busy with the fire snakes which were now behind them, perhaps he could knock her out right here and now!

Running towards her, he prepared his attack, but it didn't take long before he realized he had miscalculated; Victoria's face looked, if possible, even more pleased than it had a mere moment ago.

"Fool! Did you think I'd leave myself open like that?!" She shouted, canceling her previous spell and channeling a new one - a far more direct, stronger one aimed straight at him. 

Lucien's eyes widened – there was no time to dodge. ' _No good, I have to block it!_ ' He thought, preparing his strongest defensive spell as a large fireball with a tail, reminiscent of a comet, crashed into him. His shield didn't last long, and his arms and chest were engulfed by the magical fire. Had it not been for the training grounds' protective magic, he might have been fried to a crisp. 

Instead, he was flung several meters into the air, knocked back by the powerful impact. His back hit the ground and the momentum made him roll a few additional meters before he stopped. Everything but his legs hurt, either because of the impact or the burning, and the spinning had disoriented him, but he forced himself to get back on his feet as he knew Victoria wouldn't let him rest.

As he thought, she was already preparing the next spell. This time, however, he was further away. Feigning an injury in his leg, he waited just until she had casted before he darted to the side. He heard a loud noise behind him as the second comet-like fireball crashed into the wall. Thankfully, there were no students there.

He tried to gather his thoughts. Even a woman like her couldn't have endless stamina; there must be a limit to how many spells she could cast without break. From this distance, it was hard to gauge whether or not she was breathing more heavily than before, but he could tell that she wouldn't faint from exhaustion any time soon.

Making her spend all her energy was most likely a no-go. He could try to survive until the timer reached zero, but while it would be impressive that he would last that long against someone like Victoria Ashbury, he doubted it would show off enough of capabilities to earn himself a high grade.

Seeing no other alternative, he would have to use one of his tricks which he had hoped to keep hidden. There was no guarantee it could work against an opponent like the one he was facing, but at the present, all other alternatives seemed worse. He didn't have the time to come up with a more elaborate plan.

Once again, Lucien took cover behind a tree, earning a scornful remark from the redhead. 

"Your trees can't save you, thief; no one can! You're mine!"

He could feel the energy from her next spell. It seemed as though she had decided not to try the sneaking tactic again, opting instead to finish this with raw power. His arms stung when he felt the sheer heat coming from the spell she was preparing. 

It was then that he turned invisible. 

If he had cast this spell in the open, Victoria might have burned everything around her and eventually hit him. By hiding from her sight behind a tree, he would hopefully confuse her. There was a risk of her detecting his presence by feeling the magic that cloaked his body, but Lucien had practiced this spell often and was confident in it, even if it didn't last for too long. Besides, there was also her mood to consider; if she couldn't find him, she would get enraged, and any potential magical readings would pass her by.

He walked out in the open, relieved to see that Victora's attention was still directed at the tree. She launched a devastatingly powerful spell that sent the tree flying, ripping it up by the roots. It was almost half-charred by the time it hit the ground. 

Now he could tell that she was breathing heavily, but the shock of not finding him took precedence over her body's exhaustion. "What the...?" She asked no one in particular. "Where did he go?"

Mrs Reed remained quiet, but even though she wasn't looking at Lucien, he got the impression that she knew where he was and what had happened. The other students were as confused as Victoria, with some wondering if her opponent had been reduced to ash despite the protective magic of the training grounds. The sound of small, crackling fires could be heard from where the scion of the Ashbury family's magic had landed. 

Moving quietly as the spell didn't remove the sound of his footsteps, Lucien finally reached his opponent. He considered choking her until she submitted, but that would leave him open for a counterattack and a burned face - his strike had to hit as hard as it would have to be fast.

And so, lacking any grace, he punched Victoria as hard as he could straight in the stomach. His invisibility faded, and over by the wall he could hear the shocked cries of his classmates, but all he could focus on was how good it felt to finally wipe that smug sense of superiority from her face, ignoring the twinge of guilt he felt at seeing her in pain.

There was a confused, guttural growl from his opponent. Her eyes went wide as all the air in her lungs were forced out, drool leaking out of both sides of her mouth. She tried raising her hands and mutter something in pure rage, but Lucien was faster. 

Channeling more energy into his fist, he poured as much electric magic into it as he could, causing Victoria's body to twitch and spasm before it was sent flying by the sudden output of energy. 

But now, the black-haired man was out of tricks to pull out of his hat. His body ached, his head was spinning, he was short on breath, and his arms still felt like they were on fire. To make matters worse, the invisibility spell had drained a lot of his energy, and then he had used an electricity spell at full power without giving himself a moment to breathe.

It was clear that he wouldn't be the winner of this battle. Victoria was already recovering from her shock, having landed on her feet and clutching her stomach and spitting on the ground in an undignified manner, but the fire in her eyes made it clear that it would take a lot more than Lucien's attacks to keep her down.

For all her arrogance, he had to admit that she was frighteningly strong. 'Funny, it is only when she's looking like this that I feel like I caught a glimpse of her true character. She's determined like no one else.' He thought, his body shaking, fearing the inevitable reprisal. Despite that, he refused to give up.

"You...You dare..." She panted. The very air around them seemed to grow warmer, the channeling of magical energy causing Victoria's braids to rise as if defying gravity. Her haughty attitude cast aside, she found no time for ridicule or taunts. Even though she must have known that there was no way Lucien could win this battle, she was going to end it in a decisive fashion.

She assumed a different stance, one that looked inspired by some form of martial arts, moved her arm back, and then made a swift punching motion with an open palm which sent out a shockwave from her palm. It traveled through the air like an almost perceptible wind, with grass, gravel, and leaves scattering in its wake.

Lucien was sent flying, faster and longer than before. In fact, he was flying so far that he was knocked into the wall where his classmates were all standing. His back hit the stone first, and he passed out to the shocked screams of his peers and fell down onto the dry, dirty ground, his world turning black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Some of you may know me from writing a lot of Fire Emblem smut. Well, this is my first take on an original story here, so please let me know what you think in a comment. I've got about half of chapter two finished as well.
> 
> I believe there will be smut added in later chapters, but unlike my other stories, it'll be more of a slow burn. I have not even decided on all the characters who will be appearing yet, even if I have a lot of ideas.
> 
> I'm curious to hear what everyone's opinion or expectations of a harem in a setting like this would be.


	2. New Friends, Old Grudges

When Lucien woke up, he found himself in a bed that was not his own, wearing nothing but a pair of simple shorts. A quick look around told him that he must be in the school's hospital; he had never been there before, but there was nowhere else he could be. It looked modern, with several other beds in the room showing that it had the capacity to treat many students for serious illnesses or injuries all at once. However, his bed was the only one that was occupied at the present.

It was bright outside, and at first he thought that merely a few hours or so had passed. That was until he realized that the sun was still rising, and thus more than half a day must have passed since yesterday's duel. 

He tried to sit up and lean against the wall, but his body felt heavy. His arms were wrapped in bandages, though thankfully they didn't sting much anymore. No doubt he had been treated with magic or potions or whatever the school's doctors used to make sure their noble students wouldn't run home crying over a scraped knee. 

The walls of the room were white while the floor was smooth, brown floorboard. There was a clock hanging over the one door of the room, he noticed, and he could tell it was quarter past seven in the morning. 

On his nightstand there were two separate vases with two different flowers in them, one small and white and one much bigger and blue. One of them likely came from Francesco, but who could have brought the other one? Lucien entertained the thought of Victoria feeling guilty, coming to visit him here in the hospital and apologizing profusely. He laughed at the notion, wondering if the woman even knew how to feel sorry for others.

Someone had prepared a glass and a carafe filled with water, which Lucien thanked the gods for. He emptied almost half of it before a nurse passed the door, noticing that their only patient had woken up.

He opened the door with a smile. "Good morning, Lucien! How are you feeling?" He was a relatively muscular man with a shaved head and a short, well-trimmed, light-haired beard. His eyes were kind and his smile easy. 

Lucien managed to sit up and lean against the wall. "Fine, thank you." Unsure of what exactly to ask, he said, "Could you tell me what exactly happened after I, uh..." His words trailed off, and not because his throat still felt a little dry.

Laughing, the nurse sat down next to him and said, "Well, it's an old story here at Eldon, really. Two people go at it too hard in a duel and they end up here and we patch 'em right up." He cleared his throat, continuing in a more professional manner. "You were never in any danger or anything, but I've never seen someone get that beaten up during a duel supervised by a teacher. We had to mend your back with some fairly potent healing magic, and we sorted out your burned arms and chest too. You'll make a full recovery though, so don't worry."

Breathing a sigh of relief, Lucien closed his eyes and brought a bandaged hand to his face. "Thank you." He paused, looking at the nightstand. "I don't suppose Victoria came by here?"

"Victoria? Hmm, I don't know who..." Realization hit the large man, who began scratching his beard. "You wouldn't happen to mean Lady Victoria Ashbury, would you?"

Blinking twice, it didn't seem as though the nurse had been told who Lucien had been fighting. Perhaps it would be unwise to inform him of that; her name did carry a lot of weight, after all. "Ah, no, just a classmate." He pointed at the flowers. "I was just a bit hopeful, you know?"

Chuckling with his deep voice, the nurse said, "Well, I'm sorry to say I wasn't here when you received your visitors. Maybe you've got two bold fans? At any rate, I'll let you rest, my boy." The large man stood up. "I'm sure the doctor will let you leave tomorrow so that you can enjoy at least a bit of your weekend."

Thanking the nurse who soon left, Lucien looked at the flowers again before lying back down in bed, closing his eyes. While he had slept for more than half a day, he still felt tired, perhaps due to the regenerative magic they had used speeding up the healing process of his body. Yet in spite of his lingering exhaustion, he remained awake for a while longer, his mind ill at ease. How would Mrs Reed evaluate a performance like this? Would he be sent home for not winning, or maybe even because he dared to fight back against Victoria?

Clicking his tongue, his mood soured. It wouldn't surprise him if those highborn brats thought poorly of him for not surrendering, but then again they might as well have made fun of him for being a coward if he didn't accept her challenge. Their definition of honor, ethics, and obsession with people knowing their place in the world was so twisted that he couldn't wrap his head around it. It had felt good to see the smug smile get wiped from Victoria's face, her expression almost being enough of a reward to get expelled over. 

A question he hadn't dared to ask himself until now surfaced in his mind. Did he even want to be here? If he was going to be angry or afraid to make his voice heard all the time, wouldn't it be better to be free? But then he would most likely have to return to stealing or going hungry. Being poor and free or well-fed and trapped...

He clicked his tongue once more, then his eyes fell on the flowers again, feeling a pang of guilt. The stars had aligned to give him this opportunity that most people of stature could only dream of; throwing it all away willingly would be ungrateful and cowardly. If nothing else, he owed it to Lord Holton, his benefactor who had given him this chance, to at least give it his all. If that was not enough, then it was not meant to be. So long as people like Francesco and whoever else had given him a flower had his back, that would be enough...right?

After some more tossing and turning, Lucien fell asleep again.

* * * * * 

Lucien was discharged the following day in the early evening, just as the big nurse had said. His arms still felt a little dull and warm, but there was no trace of the fire that had scorched him during the duel. The doctor had echoed the nurse's words and said that the black-haired student would make a full recovery, and thankfully that included no permanently burnt skin. 

Francesco had visited while Lucien was asleep, and thus left him with a short letter rather than risk waking him up. Apparently, the rest of the duels had been postponed until the following day (a fact his blond friend stressed as it meant cutting the weekend in half), and Victoria had stormed off after Mrs Reed declared her the winner of the duel – he hadn't seen her since, but it was clear merely winning hadn't been enough for her. 

At the end of the letter he mentioned he'd be in town for most of the day, but promised to treat Lucien to some 'actual good southern cuisine and not your northern barbarian dry leather stews to celebrate your inevitable good results'. That had made him laugh, which still hurt his ribs just a little bit. In a country as big as the Cazarian Empire, food, customs, and many other things could differ greatly between the provinces.

Apparently, they could expect the overall grades to be posted on a large wall in the central park of campus as early as next week, ranking each and every one of the students of each year. Examinations were taken seriously here, that much was clear, and Lucien had heard it said that putting the test results in public like that was meant to either inspire the students or shame the ones at the bottom to such an extent that they would have no choice but to study harder. If he wanted to remain here, he could not score below number twenty of the one hundred first years.

He returned to the men's dormitories at the western edge of the campus, near the outer wall and not too far away from the main gate of the academy. The two buildings were old, probably as old as the main, central edifice that was the heart of the school, made of beautiful stones that gave it an almost rustic feel. They were quite sizeable, being able to host not only more than one hundred students between the two of them, but each of them also had a reception, staffed with someone to keep track of the students, as well as their mail and any potential visitors. Those receptionists were also the ones to close the door at ten o'clock in the evening on weekdays to enforce the curfew – and to gently discourage nightly visits between potential lovers. The same held true for the women's dormitories at the eastern edge of the campus.

The room assigned to him was on the second floor, containing practically everything he needed to live comfortably during his time here. A nice bed, a desk, two chairs, a table, a wardrobe, and a window that let him see a large part of the front of the campus, overlooking both the stone paths and the beautiful greenery surrounding the school. It was a far cry from a mansion, but to Lucien this room might have been the single best part of his stay here. 

With Francesco out of campus, and Lucien having been cooped up for two days straight, he had a bath to freshen himself up and got dressed in regular clothes with the intention of taking a walk. Like his selection of uniforms, his casual clothes had either been given to him by Lord Holton or bought by the initial sum of money he had been given to prepare for his time at Eldon Academy. Only his pocket watch and his small pouch filled with gemstones had accompanied him here.

He looked himself in the mirror. All that sleeping at the hospital had done him some good, especially after the intense examination week that was now behind him. There were no bags under his blue eyes anymore, and it felt good with a hot bath after the intense battle with Victoria. Choosing a pair of long, beige pants, and a grey button-up shirt, he felt almost as though he was still wearing his uniform, but he didn't particularly mind, as he thought it looked good and he was fond of the style of the uniform anyway. 

The sleeves felt just a little loose. While he was not just skin and bones by any means, he wasn't as muscular as some students he had met. Having a good constitution was directly tied to how many spells you could cast in short succession, something he had noticed he was lacking during his duel. Francesco had a good build and was captain of the fencing team; Lucien would have to ask him for any tips once he got back. 

Heading out of the dormitories, the sun was beginning to set. Summer was getting closer with each passing day, and the surprisingly cold week that had passed was beginning to make way for more pleasant weather. The many flowers, gently tended to by the school gardener, spread a lovely scent around the campus. At first it reminded Lucien of Victoria's rose perfume and bath oils, but he quickly pushed that thought out of his mind.

Continuing up past the main building, he saw a familiar face walking towards him.

"Hello, Lucien. I'm glad to see you're out of the hospital." It was the silver-haired woman who had congratulated him after the first part of the magic examination. She was very short, more than one head shorter than Lucien, and her hair was unusually messy (though still clean) for being a student at Eldon, with her silver locks barely reaching her shoulders. She wore a dark green pair of very short shorts, which showed off the majority of her slender legs which looked rather long given her stature, as well as a simple white top and a small jacket that was the same color as her shorts. He would never have believed that this was a member of high society if he had met her on town looking like this.

"Oh, hey Luna. Thank you." Lucien replied. While they were in the same class, he only knew her first name and little else; they had never exchanged words up until this point. The black-haired man was preparing to walk past her, but Luna stopped, her green eyes still on him, and so he did the same.

She smirked. It was a smile full of confidence, not a forced polite smile he had seen so much of since coming here. "I was very impressed by your performance yesterday, y'know." She stated matter-of-factly, crossing her arms and sizing him up as if she expected him to show off his abilities here and now. "That's gotta be the first time I ever saw someone punch their opponent in a mage duel – at least in such a brutal fashion. It takes some serious guts to walk up to someone like Lady Ashbury and knock her stomach in."

Somehow, perhaps thanks to that knowing smile of hers, Lucien got the impression that she was being serious and was not making fun of him. "Oh, uh, thanks." He replied, rubbing the back of his head without looking at her, needing a second to think of what to say next. "Do you think I shouldn't have?"

Luna chuckled, her voice dry and neutral. "Nah, I mean that must've felt real cathartic to you, like some top grade therapy. It probably gave you more satisfaction than..." She stopped herself and put a hand on her surprisingly wide hips before changing the topic, "I'm just impressed is all. I thought you should know, which is why I left a flower at your hospital nightstand." 

"That was you huh? Thanks, that means a lot." Lucien said with surprise, meeting her eyes. "I can't say I had the most fun in there but those flowers cheered me up every time I looked at them."

"'Flowers' in plural eh?" She said, winking at him. She really was very cute. "Well someone's popular; you've got more than one fan then." Taking a few steps forward and moving past him, she put one hand in her pocket while raising the other. "See you in class tomorrow. I'm looking forward to seeing what other cool tricks you'll pull off in the future."

"Yeah, good night, Luna." He raised his hand as well despite her back being turned to him. He watched her leave, his eyes falling to her big, round ass framed by the tight green shorts before he forced himself to look away, not wanting to be caught staring. Based on the short interaction, Luna also struck him like the kind of person who would know if you let your eyes linger, and she wouldn't be afraid to confront you about it.

Strange, she didn't talk, act, nor dress like a noblewoman or daughter of a rich family. Lucien also didn't know her last name, and as such couldn't even place what province she came from. He put this question at the top of his mental 'things to ask Francesco about' pile – he'd have to be careful not to treat his only friend here like some kind of encyclopedia.

Continuing his walk, past the main edifice and the library, he soon found himself near the training grounds again. It was as though his legs had moved him here on their without his brain having picked up on it. It was with some surprise that he found himself here again, having been deep in thought during his walk here. The beige wall that closed this area off, a fair bit from the campus, looked dreary and imposing. A crowd watching a man with a sword fighting a large animal, like in ancient times, wouldn't have felt out of place here.

He meant to walk past it and begin his trek back home, but he could hear sounds coming from inside. Were people dueling here at this time of night? Or worse? If they did, it didn't involve him, but Lucien's curiosity got the better of him, and by moving slowly and quietly, he snuck into the training grounds to see what was going on inside.

Due to the noise Lucien had heard, he had expected there to be more than one person inside, but once he got through one of the openings in the wall, he saw that there was only one other person there.

Victoria.

He tensed up and was about to turn around when he noticed the state she – and her surroundings – were in. Magical fire was spread out everywhere, barely being kept in control, which raised the temperature of the vicinity. However, what really caught Lucien's attention was Victoria herself. Her breathing was ragged and she was hunched over, her beautiful legs barely supporting her weight as they quivered from exhaustion. Sweat poured down her forehead, sweatdrops either falling to the ground or trickling down her face.

His legs moved on their own towards her, not even knowing what he would say or do once he reached her. Did he want to have another argument with her, or did he want to make sure she was alright? Perhaps it was both, or perhaps it was something else entirely.

Victoria eventually spotted him but said nothing at first. It was only when he was within normal speaking distance that she said, "What do you want?" Her tone was short, but her fatigue kept any potential venom out of her voice. She stood up straight, trying to hide just how tired she was, but her breathing was still shallow, her large bust rising and falling at a fast pace. 

She was still wearing her uniform, he noticed, despite it being late on a weekend. The clothes were sturdy despite their modern, refined look, so they did make for good magical training material.

"I'm just taking a walk, Victoria." He said, more defensively than he had intended, putting his hands in his pockets.

"Towards me?" She asked with an attempt at a scowl, but a quiver in her legs made her focus on keeping her balance instead. With a sigh, she extinguished the flames around her, the warm glow from the fire that had lit her up fading as the details of her beautiful face were shrouded by the evening darkness. 

Ignoring her question, he said, "You look like you're training hard."

She pulled out a handkerchief from one of the pockets of her blazer, turning around as she wiped her face of sweat. "And why wouldn't I? I have never been so humiliated in my entire life." Without specifying what she was talking about, it at first sounded as though she was talking about something else, but her temper flared up and she continued, "The eldest daughter of the great Ashbury family, incapable of properly dispatching of a simple pickpocket! And everyone witnessed it!" She was half shouting, but there was a whining quality to it. However, it was not the sound of a spoiled child who hadn't gotten what she wanted, but something more.

"You hospitalized me for a day and a half. Is that not a victory?" Lucien asked, careful to keep his own temper in check. "I'm sorry, but I'm not some bug for you to step on."

"You don't understand!" She raised her voice, then lowered her face in her right hand, her breathing still strained. "Of course you don't..." 

He took a step forward, their blue eyes meeting, neither giving an inch. "How am I supposed to understand anything if you keep talking down to me? You have never even called me by my name! I'm sorry you find my existence to be such a nuisance, but while you were living the good life I had to struggle to make it through the day! I don't need your attitude."

Tsking, she crossed her arms but otherwise remained still. "Do you believe my life is naught but a series of pleasant tea parties? And don't give me the noble thief excuse, you could at the very least have joined the imperial army, but you did not, choosing instead to leech off of honest people." Her eyes narrowed. "I have met dozens of people like you, thief, and you all sound the same."

"Did it ever occur to you that there's a reason for that?" He asked, clenching his fist in his pocket. "Those people probably had to deal with freezing, starvation, and everything in between; it's probably easy to judge poor peasants with an overflowing purse and a full stomach!"

Now it was Victoria who took one step forward. "And did it ever occur to you that you're doing the exact same thing? You said yourself that you do not understand, yet you're judging me all the same." 

Lucien could feel her breath hot on his face, and her usual rose scent was mixed with the stench of sweat. Her piercing blue eyes burned like a cold flame, yet there was a flickering motion to them, be it from her exhaustion or anger. Her blood red hair was unkempt, which was the first time the black-haired student had ever seen it in such a state, with one braid looking like it was about to unravel.

Preparing for an eventual fireball being launched his way, he replied, "The difference being that my word carries no weight. You also know just how delicate my situation is, yet you challenged me to a duel in the hopes of getting me expelled, is that not right? Do you honestly believe I'd just take that lying down?"

To his surprise, Victoria seemed to take a moment to think through his words. The menacing presence she had projected faded ever so slightly as her breathing got more even. Looking to the side, she opened her mouth twice before any words came out of it. "My final attack was...not sportsmanlike. I lost my composure, and for that I apologize." 

Lucien stopped clenching his fist, straightening his back and looked at her in mild shock. In the moment of silence that followed, only the distant crashing of the waves was any indication that time had not stopped. Victoria, even in her tired state, looked so beautiful when her face was not contorted in anger. 

She scoffed, then walked past him. "Good night."

For the second time that evening, a classmate had left him speechless behind them. He looked up at the sky and sighed deeply. That had been far scarier than he had anticipated, and now that it was over he could not understand his boldness; confronting Victoria was dangerous enough, but outside of campus at nighttime? The woman was influential enough that she could get away with almost anything, so scorching someone who wasn't noteworthy was well within the limits of her power. 

Still, it had been worth it. While their bad blood remained, he felt like he had caught a glimpse of the thoughts that lurked beneath the surface.

* * * * *

The following morning, the sun was shining as it greeted the new week. The students of Eldon Academy went to their respective first classes. After a quick breakfast in the dining hall, Lucien went to a classroom on the second floor of the main building, preparing himself for a lecture on some of the finer points of magic.

"Aaah, I had a wonderful dream where classes were canceled and they started importing actual quality pasta to the dining hall." Was the first thing Francesco said with a yawn when he saw Lucien. Other students were taking their seats, but the two men were standing outside. His blazer was open and his tie was loose as always, but his striking blond hair which contrasted his light brown skin looked as though it had been thoroughly combed before Francesco had made it look unkempt on purpose, showing he did spend some time on his appearance.

"You have mentioned that pasta before. Didn't you also say something about a celebration dinner if I made it to the top twenty?" Lucien asked with a smile. "Maybe you should treat me to some pasta, then."

Francesco put his hands together like a prayer, his eyes proud. "Once you've had a taste of southern cuisine, my friend, everything else will taste either 'exotic' or inferior." 

"The food here is pretty good though..." Lucien offered diplomatically. "The fish in particular."

Nodding, the blond man wrapped his arm around the other man's shoulders. "While true, you will see what I mean. The town near campus may not have the biggest selection of restaurants to choose from, but if you know what to look for you'll find gems even in such places. I've got a particular one in mind, you see."

From behind them, and quite far down, someone else joined in on their conversation. "I could go for some pasta too." 

Luna had apparently been listening in, clutching her books to her chest while looking at the two male students expectantly. She was wearing the blue blazer, white shirt, red tie and short red plaid skirt like all the other female students, but she also wore black tights, which was a far cry from how exposed her gorgeous legs had been just the other day. 

Without showing any surprise, Francesco answered as naturally as he breathed, "You want to celebrate Lucien's exam results too, huh, Lady Stillwater? The more the merrier, I say!" 

She gave a thumbs up and a pleased smile. Her head only barely reached Francesco's chest, but the confidence with which they carried themselves made them look like siblings. Turning her head to Lucien, she said, "Congrats, Lucien."

"W-Well, I mean, we haven't gotten the results yet, and I'll get sent home if I'm not in the top twenty..." He replied, wanting to tone down her expectations as well as his own. It would be feel even worse if he was sent home after making all these plans.

Shaking her head so that her messy, almost shoulder-length silver hair swayed, she gently pushed her fist against his arm. "Nah, you've got this." Her green eyes practically shined. "I'll be sitting with you guys today. You two seem fun. 'Sides, we're in the same history class, Lucien, so we should study in the library later."

Francesco, as discreetly as he could, gave two thumbs up and a grin, then made an exaggerated, fairly inappropriate gesture which Lucien assumed was his attempt at reminding him of just how big Luna's ass was. Ignoring his friend the best he could, the black-haired man said while trying to keep his surprise and nervousness out of his voice, "Sure."

"Sweet. Well then, let's go, gents." She headed into the classroom, seating herself at a table near the back where there was still room for the other two to join her. 

"My protégé is becoming a real man!" Francesco whispered in delight. "Man, you've got a Stillwater inviting you to study with her! Hell, aside from the Ashbury family, that's got to be the oldest one in the Empire, even if they aren't exactly the powerhouse they used to be." He spotted the teacher, and the two headed inside, but not before he enthusiastically added, "And she's so cute!" 

' _Stillwater, huh?_ ' Lucien thought as he sat down with Luna and Francesco, readying his pen. ' _Yet another fancy name. I suppose that name will show up often in the history books, then. I wonder what he meant by their family not being a powerhouse anymore..._ '

Their instructor, Mrs Reed, entered the room and everyone grew quiet. There was something about her expression that radiated negativity, despite looking the same as she always did. 

Standing behind the front desk, she began immediately. "Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. After the incident during the examination and the duels that were postponed as a result, I have noticed one thing in particular we need to focus on: using our techniques to the best of our abilities." She looked around the classroom, hands on the desk. "Lucien, come here, please."

Nodding, he walked up to his instructor, disliking the attention but unable to go against a teacher. 

"Turn invisible for as long as you can, please." Mrs Reed commanded. 

"Why?" He asked defiantly. This was most likely the best spell he knew, and as far as he knew it was a rare ability too. Displaying it so others could take notes was what he had hoped to avoid last time. 

"Because I asked nicely." Mrs Reed said coolly, not wanting to linger on the subject. "It's the ideal spell for a demonstration."

Realizing he had no option other than to leave the classroom entirely, he faded from sight. It took a second or two before his body vanished to the murmur of his classmates. His eyes fell on Victoria, who sat in the corner on the opposite side of his table, her face darkening at the display of his technique.

Mrs Reed nodded before she began speaking again, "There are many aspects of spells like these that I wish to discuss. First, I believe Lucien is to be commended for being capable of using such an advanced skill, but there was one key aspect of how he used it in his duel that warrants further discussion. What would that be?" She asked the class, with Lucien standing still and unseen in front of everybody. There was something bizarre about being discussed in this manner, and he wondered how Victoria felt about their battle being analyzed like some kind of sports event.

A man with brown hair slicked back and an angry expression, whom Lucien recognized as Francis Clint, spoke up first, "Its deceitful nature! A true duelist would not resort to such tactics in an attempt to win!" Two other people near him murmured something in agreement.

Mrs Reed sighed. "Incorrect, Mr Clint. Anyone else? Yes, Lady Ashbury?"

Having raised her hand, the redhead lowered it. Her face was hard to read, but the way she looked to the side made Lucien believe that she tried avoiding eye contact with him but was unsure of where to look as she couldn't see him. "He hid from me before he actually turned invisible, confusing me. I was unaware of his ability to turn invisible, and didn't take it into consideration. Had I seen him actually turn invisible, I would have simply burned the area around me." 

There was a pause in the classroom. Francis looked as if he wanted to object, but remained quiet, while Luna smiled knowingly, looking straight at him as though she could see him. 

"That is correct, and that brings us to our next point." Mrs Reed continued, writing something down in her notebook. "Close your eyes, everyone, and feel the magical energies, or 'dyra', around you." She took a second to see that everyone followed her instructions. "Reach out with your senses and feel its presence in this very room and beyond, like the ocean reaching out as far as your eyes can see. Imagine that there is not a single disturbance on the water's surface, that it reflects the skies above like a large mirror."

Lucien could sense it and feel the dyra all around him, but it was hard to distinguish anything. Rather than a clear lake, it felt like multiple rivers running in parallel. Everyone emitted their own energies, connecting with the dyra all around them. While he had known about this in theory, he found it exceedingly hard to get the picture in his mind that Mrs Reed was talking about.

Their teacher began to pace in front of the students in the front row, watching each and every students' face, including Lucien's. "Now, imagine that there is a single stone dropped into this sea. It sends ripples across the surface, stretching outwards. You may be far away and it might feel faint, but it is there. The usage of magic sends signals that can be traced, though it is possible to limit these significantly." She stood in front of Lucien and continued, "I was earnest in my praise before, Lucien; I have not met many first years capable of invisibility during my time here, or many students at all for that matter."

' _And here comes the 'but''_ ', Lucien thought, finding it hard to maintain his focus on the spell as his breathing became more ragged. 

"However, the stone you drop in the ocean is too large, which makes you easy to detect. Furthermore, it makes you run out of stamina too quickly." The instructor explained, putting a hand on his shoulder to prove her point. 

She was correct, of course, though Lucien had mostly thought it was due to the spell being demanding on its own, not because he was doing anything incorrectly. His form became visible again, and he took several deep breaths while sitting down on the desk, which creaked quietly under his weight.

Letting go of his shoulder, Mrs Reed faced the class again, keeping her arms behind her back, her back straight like a soldier. "Practice, practice, practice. Mastering the basics will generally help you use your dyra more effectively even when using more complicated techniques. Naturally, having a good physique helps immensely as well, as it will bolster your stamina and supply of dyra." She turned to Lucien and motion at the desk he had been sitting at. "That's all."

The instructor did not wait for him to sit down before she continued the lecture. "So, today I want you to channel the weakest spell you have and maintain it for as long as you can. If you run out of energy, then try to observe your classmates and get a feel for their dyra and techniques. You may begin."

Lucien sat down with a sigh, taking a moment to breathe before moving on to the task at hand. The classroom was filled with the sound of excited students and the spells they cast; small, crackling flames, swirling circlets of water, spinning spheres of wind, and more all joined together in a cacophony of magical energy. He ran through a hand through his black hair and looked at what his friends were doing. Luna had a thin stream of water spinning above the palm of her hand, while Francesco sent a thin strip of a kind of visible wind with a greenish hue from one hand to the other. 

"Water, huh?" Francesco remarked, juggling with his spell while leaning against the wall with one shoulder. "Never had much talent for it myself."

Luna hummed, not taking her eyes of her spell. "They say you need to be patient to master water magic, but that may just be an old saying." She sent the thin stream of water flying through the air, glittering in the sun that shined through the windows as it snaked around Francesco and Lucien before it returned to her palm without losing a single drop. "It would be interesting if our abilities were all linked to our personalities somehow, but neither magic nor people are that simple, I think."

The blond man seemed to entertain the thought. "Maybe I want to be free like the wind and you are as calm as the ocean until there's a storm." 

Luna merely smiled, her green eyes never leaving her spell.

"I'd say it's how we use our abilities that matter." Lucien chimed in, feeling the flow of his dyra seep through his arm and into his hand, creating a small spark in his palm that began dancing between his fingers. He tried to keep what Mrs Reed had said in mind, focusing on how even the smallest of energy output felt once the spell had been cast.

"Interesting words coming from the man who tried settling a magic duel by ramming his fist into someone's stomach." The silver-haired girl said, though she had the decency to speak quietly enough so that no one else would hear her. 

"See, that's why I try to stay on his good side." Francesco said with a grin.

Lucien tsked, but couldn't stop a smile from creeping onto his lips. "I swear, you guys act like siblings."

This comment seemed to please Luna, who chuckled and looked at the blond man in front of her. "That sounds like a lot of fun. I'll be the cool, mature, big sister."

"The hell? We may both be twenty but how tall are you anyway? You can't be much more than one hundred and fifty centimeters." Francesco said with a laugh.

"Maturity comes from experience, dear little brother." Luna explained sagely. "You will understand one day."

The three of them shared a laugh, drawing some surprised, quizzical looks from the rest of the class, but Mrs Reed didn't reprimand them. Spending time talking with two friends like this, Lucien found himself thinking that this is what his time at Eldon Academy should be like.

* * * * * 

Finding himself once more in the library, Lucien looked out the large windows, his head feeling heavy. All of the names, places, and eras blended together when reading history for an extended period of time, but it was easier to process and understand than philosophy. It was a strange feeling to read about noble military captains, accomplished ministers, and large landowners who lived hundreds of years ago, only to then look up from the book and realize that their descendants were all around him. 

The sun was still shining outside, though it wouldn't take long before it would start getting darker. With Francesco heading to fencing practice, Luna had been adamant that they study history together properly. He had only been vaguely aware that they were in the same history class until just the other day, yet here they were now. 

Luna's knowledge of other noble families was impressive. While she, like him, had some difficulties with the general information they needed to study, like when which emperor ruled and what kind of strategies the Cazarian Empire used to expand its influence, she already knew most questions about conflicts and alliances between noble families. 

"...and that slight was what triggered the Seven Week War between the Ashbury family and the Urtises, which expanded their influence to the northwest. The Urtise clan never quite recovered, and eventually they fell from power completely. As you know, the Ashbury family rules the province directly north over the imperial capital Altheus, which is landlocked, but because of this move they now had access to the western sea not all that far from Eldon." Luna explained with confidence, sitting on the opposite side of the table. There was an air of an experienced teacher surrounding her, her gestures and tone positive and enthusiastic.

Lucien had never heard her talk this much at length before; normally she seemed to prefer keeping herself to merely a few words. 

"Did you get all that?" The silver-haired girl asked, her tone making it clear that she knew he didn't. She placed her elbows on the table and rested her chin against her hands, kicking the air under the table. 

"Sorry, I just didn't know you were such a history nerd." He said, his voice lighthearted. "You'd make a great teacher."

Raising an eyebrow, she merely said, "Flattery alone won't get you through my course, Mr Thatcher." She leaned back against the backrest of the bench she was sitting on and twirled a lock of her silver hair around her index finger. "My family has always stressed the importance of history and tradition, so I suppose some of it just stuck." With a shrug, she looked out the windows as if she had something else she wanted to say, but she remained quiet, then returned to her book.

"Oh, I'm sorry if I said anything..." Lucien's voice trailed off. From behind the beautiful wooden bookshelves, an all too familiar face appeared. Victoria looked deep in thought as she traced her index finger along the spines of several books, her other hand resting on her hips. She looked none the worse for her condition yesterday, her hair, clothes, and everything else looking perfect as usual. After finding her book, she walked past Lucien and Luna without so much as looking at them, staring straight ahead as the familiar clacking of her high heels grew weaker. 

It was hard not to look at her as she left. The scent of roses lingered for just a few moments before fading away like a dream. The bare portion of flawless skin between her mini skirt and black thigh high socks drew Lucien's attention almost as much as her large bust did.

Turning around again to face Luna, he was met by the smuggest grin he had seen on her yet. She leaned forward again, nodding knowingly, before she said, "I see, I see...so that's the kind of girl you like, huh."

Trying to fight a blush from creeping onto his cheeks, Lucien replied flatly, "She has never even called me by my name. I think she sees me as a bug to step on."

"Kinky."

"Wh-What?!"

"Oh, nothing, don't mind me." Luna said sweetly, amusement radiating from her very being, her cute, thin face lit up and her green eyes shining like two polished emeralds. "You were looking further down than I was expecting considering her breasts." She made a motion in front of her own chest, estimating the size of Victoria's. Coupled with her relatively flat tone, it was hard to tell whether she was being serious or teasing him. 

Lucien was not used to discussing things like these with anyone besides one person he had known a few years ago in his earlier life, and even then he had mostly been listening to his friend's horny rants. It was another matter entirely to sit in a large, public library in the finest academic institution in the country and having a noble teasing you, especially a noble who was a woman herself. 

Looking away, he bit his lip before he spoke again. "I-If you like her so much then why don't you go talk to her?" It was a childish defense, but Lucien was at a loss for words; had it been Francesco he might've felt more comfortable teasing him back, but Luna was a new acquaintance and of the same gender as Victoria; he didn't know how much he could bite back.

"You are very cute when you blush." Luna commented, her tone plain but she was still smirking. "If I were more interested in women, then I imagine I'd be interested in Victoria. I mean, have you seen her boobs?"

"It sounds like you're intere- we're no having this conversation!" He said, a bit louder than intended, which made him even more self-conscious, but it didn't seem as though anyone had heard him or at least bothered to turn their heads. The library was half full, and the benches next to theirs were thankfully empty.

Luna raised her small hands and gestured for her victim to calm down. "Fine, fine. But why not invite her to the summer ball?"

Lucien felt his shoulders tense and eyes widen. "Summer ball?"

"Oh dear." The silver-haired woman said, her tone not devoid of sympathy, but she was still having a lot of fun at her new friend's expense. "We're at the end of the fourth month of the imperial calendar now, and this ball will take place in the middle of the seventh. It's mostly a thing for the third years, but all students are technically supposed attend; it's a tradition."

"Of course it's a tradition. What isn't a tradition in this place?" Lucien sighed, burying his face in his hands. "I know nothing about dancing." His voice was low and muffled.

Luna's expression softened. "You're light on your feet so you should learn quickly. Tell you what, I can show you the basics before the ball." 

The man looked up, snapped out of his self-pitying. "Really?"

"Really." She made a thumbs up with one hand and closed her book with the other. "Let's call it a day, you seem beat." She stood up and adjusted her skirt and black tights with one hand, then stroked a few strands of silver hair behind her ear.

Having no objections to get out of the library, Lucien stood up next to her, and the two began walking. "You really are the teacher type, aren't you? Thank you for looking after me, Luna."

She shrugged, clutching her book to her chest. "It's what big sisters do, Lucien." She looked up at him without caring about the thirty or so centimeters that differed between them, her tone difficult to read. "I'm sure you'll help me when I need it."

"Of course." 

The two walked out of the library, the evening cooler than expected. Some trees and flowers stood in full bloom while others were still mere buds that wouldn't show off their full splendor for a little while yet. Walking towards their respective dormitories along the stone paths that connected the various buildings of the campus under the shade of large trees, Luna and Lucien talked about nothing in particular.

He had only known her for a short while, yet she had already invited herself to an eventual restaurant visit with Francesco as well as set up a study session and now dance classes with him. He had been joking when saying Francesco and Luna acted like siblings, but the confidence with which they carried themselves was the same, although it took different forms. Where Francesco was loud and outgoing, Luna was quieter, holding her cards closer to her chest, but she gave off the impression of being immovable once she knew what she wanted.

Once they reached the main building, they saw a cluster of people reading something that had been posted to the wall. Looking around, a few students were running in this direction as well, walking over the yards rather than following the stone paths that circled around them. 

"Wait, don't tell me..." Lucien said, running towards the group of people, leaving Luna, who maintained her usual pace, behind. The group was constantly growing in size, and the voices of both joy and despair grew with it. There could be no mistake, the exam results were already up.

On the wall there were several large papers, both attached and protected by a weak, purple glow of dyra, preventing any sort of cheating or vandalism. Written in big, black letters, Lucien read:

_The End Results of the Fourth Month's Examinations, Imperial Year 831_  
_First Year Students_

Lucien swallowed, his vision blurring, forcing him to slow down his breathing. His knees were shaking and his hands were growing sweaty as he clenched his fists hard.

_1: Victoria Ashbury_

Somehow, that had seemed inevitable, he thought before continuing.

_5: Luna Stillwater_

He nodded, happy for his friend's sake, but he kept reading, his heart feeling as though it was ready to leap up his throat.

His name didn't appear in the top ten, though he had not been counting on that. He wasn't number eleven, nor was he number twelve...

He could hear his own heartbeat, a quiet sound yet it defeaned him to all else. The happiness and disappointment of his peers around him was blocked out, his mind not paying any attention to anything other than the papers in front of him.

Until finally, he saw his name there.

_18: Lucien Thatcher_

The relief the black-haired man was hard to describe. It felt as though a heavy weight had been lifted from his shoulders, making it easier to both move around and breathe. His eyes teared up as he read his name over and over again to make sure there hadn't been any mistake. 

Luna walked up behind him, took a look at the results, then smiled at him. "Congrats, Lucien, you've done well. I'll look forward to that pasta." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The story continues. Please welcome Luna Stillwater to the gang!
> 
> I've received some very nice compliments from people reading this story and that means a lot. I've also had some help coming up with interesting ideas for future chapters, both in terms of serious plot development and more lighthearted fan service. 
> 
> As always, please let me know what you thought of the chapter and if there's anything you want/expect to see in later chapters.


	3. Southern Cuisine

"Cheers!"

Three glasses of wine met over the center of a table in a quaint restaurant in the town of Westpoint which was located thirty minutes to the east of Eldon Academy. The hamlet was by all accounts unremarkable, but seeing as it was the only town in the vicinity the students could reach without getting on a train, the closest station also being in Westpoint, it was visited fairly frequently. It was, in a way, the students' closest link to society, as Eldon was remotely located on a peninsula far to the west, far removed from mainstream Cazarian society and the nobles' provinces and holdings.

The restaurant the trio was visiting had been recommended by Francesco. A man of his word, he had invited Luna and Lucien on the weekend to celebrate the black-haired man's good examination score which meant he could remain a student at Eldon Academy, his stipend secure for now. 

It wasn't a particularly big restaurant, but it was full, and waiters were running in and out of the kitchen at a fast pace. The scent of many different kinds of spices and fresh vegetables was almost palpable, accompanying the buzz of the guests' conversations and the humble decorations creating a homely atmosphere.

Southern cuisine was on the menu tonight. Red wine and pasta with seafood had been ordered per Francesco's recommendation, and just like he had promised, the taste was richer than anything Lucien had ever had before. He did not think it'd ruin other kinds of food for him, as seemed to be the case for his friend. The dishes were something to behold though, beautiful colors meshing perfectly on his plate, looking vibrant and inviting.

Never having been one for getting drunk, Lucien sipped on his wine glass, enjoying the taste and smell but taking it slowly so that neither of his companions would fill his glass and tell him to drink more. 

"Aaah, tastes just like home." Francesco said, popping a shrimp into his mouth, chewed it slowly to savor the flavor and then wiped his mouth with a yellow napkin. "You can still feel the warmth of the sun that shined on the olives that produced this olive oil, wouldn't you say?" 

"This does taste a lot different compared to the noodles that are usually imported from the Samaran Federation to my province." Luna said, studying the pasta on her fork which was sprinkled with fresh parsley and garlic. "This is also delicious, but in a different way."

"I'm happy to hear it!" Francesco laughed, puffing out his chest in pride of the cooking of his home region. "My province is much further from the Federation, so I'm not as familiar with its culture as you, Lady Stillwater, but I've heard the food is supposed to be as diverse as its member states."

The silver-haired woman had another bite of pasta and put a small hand on her cheeks, savoring the taste with a quiet, appreciative sigh. Only then did she reply, "I've only visited the closest member states a few times, admittedly, but I'd say you're right. The benefits of being a border province is that I get to eat all the good foods from the east, the west, and now the south." She sounded pleased, tapping her thin stomach contently. "Also, don't call me 'Lady Stillwater', it makes me sound like an old stranger. I'm a young friend, if you hadn't noticed."

"My mum and dad would slap me if I did."

"They're not here. Be careful I don't slap you."

"Fine, fine, Luna it is." Francesco raised his hands, his easy smile showing he was thankful for the lack of formalities. Looking at Lucien, he said, "Man, one of my dinner companions threatens to slap me while the other is on record for punching the most powerful woman on campus in the stomach. What have I gotten myself into?"

Groaning, Lucien said tiredly, "You two will never let me live that down, will you?"

"Nope." Luna answered without skipping a beat.

"What, you nuts? It's forever seared into my brain! I couldn't forget it if I tried!" Francesco laughed, taking a swig of his wine, then poured himself another glass until it was half full.

"W-Well, what would you have done in my situation?!" Lucien asked, following his blond friend's lead, the warmth the wine provided dulling his embarrassment. 

Shrugging, the other man answered, "Hit her with a pointy stick I suppose, it's what I usually do. I guess it'd have to be a wooden sparring sword but a good whack on the head ought to have done the trick. That is, of course, provided she wouldn't burn me to a crisp before I could reach her; she's got a major upper hand against me in open spaces and her powers are already astounding without additional advantages." Mulling it over, he finished his food and placed his utensils on the thoroughly cleaned plate, being the first to do so. "You were right to hide behind a tree at first, but she had already anticipated and planned around that. However, I would have definitely done the same, then focused on dodging until I could get closer. It is possible that I could try to deflect one of her long-range spells even with a sparring sword if I reinforced it with magical energy, but if I were to mess it up I would lose more than my eyebrows."

Luna's answer was different. "I would've copped a feel."

Lucien almost spat out his wine, coughing violently at the suddenness of the reply, delivered in a perfectly flat tone and with a completely neutral expression. She didn't seem to notice his reaction and kept eating as though she had merely commented on the weather. She soon finshed her food as well and wiped her mouth daintily with one of the yellow napkins on the table.

"So uh, care to give us any details?" Francesco asked, leaning forward perhaps unintentionally, Luna's words commanding his undivided attention. 

"I mean, if I could turn invisible, that'd be one of the first things I'd do." She explained simply, leaning back in the chair, removing her small green jacket and putting it over the backrest of her chair, leaving her in only the same simple white top and very small, tight green shorts Lucien had seen her wear a week ago. He looked away, but not before he saw the outline of Luna's breasts which, while far from Victoria's size, were not exactly small. "They're huge, after all. Plus, it might confuse her enough to the point where I could win the duel easily."

Having recovered from his coughing, Lucien patted his chest and cleared his throat. "That's a level of mental warfare I hadn't thought of. I thought that anything that'd give her time to use her hands would end with me on fire. I considered trying to choke her at first, but..."

"Kinky." Luna said with a wry smile. "I learn more about you every day, Lucy."

Francesco arched his head back and guffawed, drawing some surprised looks from nearby tables, his broad shoulders rising and falling with his laughter. "Even if you won the duel you'd get expelled the next day, I'm pretty sure!" 

Luna remained quiet, still looking pleased, and finished the wine that remained in her glass. Lucien got the impression that she was weighing the pros and cons of such a scenario.

Swirling the wine in his glass, creating a crimson maelstrom inside it, Lucien asked, perhaps emboldened by what little he had drunk, "Luna, I've been meaning to ask...you're a bit of a pervert, aren't you?"

Placing a hand over her chest, she looked at him with her smooth green eyes and a half open mouth. "I am a noblewoman as innocent as the freshly fallen snow and as pure as my silver hair. You are the choker." Her tone remained flat, then she poured herself more wine, emptying the bottle.

Francesco shook his head, staring straight at Luna. "No, I think Lucien is right; you seem to think about that stuff quite a lot."

The short woman looked at the blond man coyly. "Aren't you a bit of a serial charmer yourself?" She turned to Lucien. "And don't tell me you live in celebacy. You both must have a story or two to tell."

With a sly grin, Francesco said. "Interesting, interesting. We're going to need more wine for this." He raised a hand and ordered a small bottle of white whine, which the waiter wrote down and then returned to the kitchen with their empty plates. "I don't mind starting, provided you all share some kind of juicy story as well."

"I'm in." Luna said, looking over at the other man. "Provided Lucien joins. I don't share my spicy stories for free."

His natural hesitation shattered in the face of his friends' excited, pleading gazes. It took him back to the streets, in a way, though under much more pleasant circumstances. Perhaps, after all they had done for him, the least he could do was humor them with a story about his past. Finishing the rest of his wine, he said, "Alright, then."

It was a good thing they had a table in the corner of the restaurant, the most isolated you could sit in such a public place. The waiter returned with a bottle of white wine, and Francesco poured more for himself as well as Lucien, though the bottle was smaller than the last which meant they wouldn't drink in excess. 

It was currently the fifth month of the imperial calendar, and the mild nights grew shorter and warmer. They had been sitting here for a while now, however, and the last rays of the sun were shining upon the town of Westpoint as darkness fell over the Cazarian Empire. Candles were lit in the restaurant, casting a bright glow on its guests.

Francesco clapped his hands and rubbed them together, his handsome face made even more captivating up by a stunning white smile. "Well then, my lord and my lady, here is a tragic tale of forbidden love and a boy becoming a man." He spoke quietly enough so that others wouldn't overhear him, but if they had been alone he would've been as loud as he usually was. "Like many other nobles, including backwater lastborns such as myself, I was expected to spend some time between semesters in high school with a private tutor in order to get ahead – or really, keep up with – my peers."

Taking a drink of his wine, he maintained his look on his dinner companions, intent on keeping them in suspense. "So far, it's a normal story, one you would hear in countless families on the entire continent of Eles, I would wager. But what if I were to tell you that the woman who graced my family's summer home one day in the eighth month was a thirty-five-year-old who looked as though she had walked straight out of a painting?"

"You didn't!" Lucien exclaimed, hiding half his face by covering it with the palm of his hand, squirming as he realized where the story was going. He looked over at Luna, whose expression was difficult to read, but her eyes were positively sparkling.

"Oh yes, my friend, I did indeed. It was in the distant year of 829 – two years ago, in case you forgot – when she came into my life. I was but a lad, hard-working without any knowledge about the darkness in the world."

Luna snickered.

"She arrived like a summer storm, with the longest, most fiery orange hair to ever bless a person's head, which often covered one of her eyes that added to her mysterious allure." He made a long, sweeping gesture along his well-built body to give his audience an estimation of the length of this woman's hair. "She was tall, too, not quite my height, of course, but she might have been about as tall as Lucien. And believe me, my dear fellows, that body was exquisite, with broad, round hips which her tight dresses hugged so tightly I wished on many occasions that I had been born as that very piece of fabric."

Lucien immediately thought of Luna's impressively wide hips and large ass which her small shorts did nothing to hide, but rather drew attention to, though he said nothing nor did he look in her direction.

"Oh I tried to court her immediately – after I confirmed she was single, of course." Francesco continued with a glimmer in his eyes. "I thought I was lucky, for she had recently divorced, yet she seemed oblivious to my attempts to woo her at first. During my first week, I was cautious and calculating, but I quickly realized that would not do, and that all of her lectures wasted my precious time that could have been spent on trying to win her over. She would merely stay for a month, you see, so I had a deadline for the most important examination of all: winning someone's heart."

"The gods had been kind, however, for they had me grow up in the southern province of Specchia, home of poetry and romance. I began composing my own poems to win her heart, though she merely laughed and ruffled my hair after my recitations." Francesco put a hand on his chest as though merely recalling the memory was causing him physical heartache, but he recovered quickly. "Even in the beautiful surroundings of my summer home, under the full moon which shines the brightest in the glorious south of our great empire. I almost began losing hope."

"And then, on the very last night before she would leave, guess who waits for me in my bedroom? Yes, my comrades, it was her. We shared a blissful night, one I question if it shall ever be surpassed. Oh, the things we did and said I dare not reveal in public, but it's what keeps me warm during winter nights." He looked out the window to the west, in the direction of the endless ocean. "Alas, when I woke up, she had left, just as she had told me she would and just as she was scheduled to. Maybe we shall meet again, maybe not, but that only the gods know."

No one said anything for a while, Francesco's story hanging over them like a shroud. People were beginning to leave the restaurant, but there were still several groups chatting lively between drinks and dessert.

"So she was twice your age? Not bad." The silver-haired woman said in approval, stretching out a clenched fist which Francesco's much larger fist bumped into.

"You're something else." Lucien said with a laugh, having finished his half full glass of white wine. His cheeks felt warm, but he didn't know if it was due to the alcohol, the warm restaurant, or his friend's story.

Shaking his head, Francesco said, "I'm sure anyone would've done the same in my situation. But enough about me, you two owe me a story."

Luna raised a slender arm. "I read erotic novels on the final evening of every week. It's something of a ritual. I've also written some short stories of my own, and they're pretty good. I'd share 'em, but they're pretty focused on describing hot guys so you might find them boring."

Francesco whistled. "Looks like you were right, Lucien my boy, she is a total pervert."

The woman in question looked at the black-haired man and winked, causing his cheeks to grow warmer still. "Sure sounds like it." He said, wondering just what she would read about tomorrow night.

"I'd say it's only healthy to enjoy something like that every once in a while." Luna stated simply. "And my stories might help you get more popular with the ladies; it's a rare opportunity for you to see the hidden desires of the opposite sex, after all. I said they might be boring for you but consider my writing educational material."

"Sounds like cheating to me." The blond man said with a laugh. "What if I ended up using it as a guide? I'd keep second guessing myself whenever I'd talk to a woman!" 

"Good point." Luna said with a nod. "Lucien, you can become my editor as a thank you for your dance classes which start tomorrow." 

"Dance classes?" Francesco asked, his interest piqued.

' _Oh, that's a dirty move!_ ' Lucien thought, though as so often was the case, it was hard to determine just how serious Luna was. "A-Anyway, I guess we should wrap things up with my story and then head home." His blue eyes looking into a candle on their table rather than at either of his friends. "Back on the street, I had a mate, er, friend, sort of, who ran with a tougher crowd than me. Still, I think he tried taking on a big brotherly approach when he was in the mood."

Memories came flooding back as he spoke, his heart feeling clenched as he still stared into the flickering flame of the candle. "He, uh, took me to a brothel one day."

"Well I'll be!" Francesco said, sounding genuinely impressed, having forgotten about the dance classes already. "I'm surprised he managed to get you to go."

"Yeah, I remember being pretty nervous." Lucien admitted with a sound somewhere between a sigh and a nostalgic laughter. "He went into one room with someone, and I went into another with another woman."

"Did ya do it?" Luna asked, 

He shook his head. "Not exactly. The woman I was with could tell I was nervous and was really nice about it. She offered to teach me how to kiss, and that was a good enough compromise, I thought, and so, you know...she taught me for quite some time, but it never escalated beyond that." He smiled, almost feeling relief over having shared a story of his own with his new friends, demonstrating his trust in them. "I don't think I'm as shy now as I was back then, but I'm afraid that's the only story I have to share."

Francesco hummed, nodding with a furrowed brow. "You get a passing grade, but I still say my story was the best."

"Well, you are the best storyteller." Luna agreed. "This was a lot of fun, guys." 

"It really was." Lucien said, noticing that there was only one other group of people left in the restaurant aside from them. "Thank you for everything, Francesco, for both the food and the entertainment."

He waved his hand dismissively. "Don't mention it, it was my pleasure." He stood up, calling the waiter over to pay for the entire evening out of his own pocket. Lucien hoped to pay him back someday when he had more money to spend on whatever he pleased. 

"Do you want to walk or take a carriage back to Eldon?" Lucien asked his friends once they were outside in the mild late spring night. The town of Westpoint was rather silent at this point, the cobblestone streets mostly empty besides two bars on the main street from which music and laughter still came; no doubt several of their peers were there despite the simple nature of the locales. "It's a shame there isn't a train station right in front of campus..."

"Let's catch a ride." Francesco declared, raising his arm towards a coachman who looked as though he was about to fall asleep sitting there waiting for customers. There was a hansom cab there too, but it would have been too small with three people in their company, especially since Francesco was rather broad. The coachman saw his new customers and was quickly filled with energy, twirling his moustache and lifting his hat as they jumped on the carriage. "To Eldon Academy, sir." 

There was really nowhere else anyone would go from Westpoint by a horse-drawn vehicle this late at night. There were some villages if you continued eastward, and they often had need for carriages such as this when they had to transport things to and from Westpoint, but these evening coachmen hoped for large tips from drunk rich students of the nearby magic school. 

The carriage moved from the cobblestone streets of the town and out on the smoother, more recently built road. There was a gentle, lulling sway to the vehicle that made it hard to stay awake, drawing out yawns from the three students. The rhythm of the horse hooves stepping on the road and the sound of the sea sounded like comforting lullabies, the road between the school and the town otherwise empty and not particularly exciting. 

They moved past trees and hills, the northern part of the peninsula not having the same rough terrain as the southern area. Luna sat in the middle of the carriage, nodding off and resting her head against Lucien's arm. Her thin cheek was so soft it felt like a small, warm pillow.

When they eventually arrived at the main gate, Francesco paid the coachman while Lucien gently shook Luna awake. The short woman rubbed the sleep from her eyes and yawned. "Mm, that was refreshing..." She murmured tiredly. "Strange, it feels like I had a nice pillow..."

Francesco and Lucien said their goodbye to Luna, who lived on the opposite end of the campus; they went west and she went east. The campus was as desolate as the road had been, though the light still shined in many of the rooms in the dormitories.

"Be honest." The blond man said as they walked towards their rooms, his tone bright despite the rocking of the carriage having made him sleepy as well. There was a light pink color on his cheeks from the wine, but his voice didn't slur in the slightest. "What do you think of Luna?"

It was only a matter of time before he asked that question; if anything Lucien was impressed that he hadn't asked it sooner. "She's great; she'll teach me how to dance before the ball. How about you?"

He hummed, wrapping his arm around his shorter friend. While Lucien was of average height and build, Francesco was both a bit taller and more muscular. "Oh come on, you know what I mean. She wants to spend time with you, even teaching you how to dance apparently, and is cute as a button. It sounds like you don't even need any poems to win her heart." Grinning, he continued, "Plus, you know...her ass is huge, especially for such a short, skinny girl."

Naturally, he was right, and it hadn't escaped Lucien's notice. Still, he replied neutrally, "Yes, she's very pretty, but I've only known her for a week. I didn't even know what her last name was before you told me – and I still don't know what you meant about her family not being a powerhouse anymore." 

"Yeah yeah, details. Passions can flare up quickly, you know, and as we established tonight, she's a pervert, so keep that in mind my friend." He removed his arm from Lucien and slapped him in the back instead. They walked up to the twin male dorms, the two living in separate buildings, but before they parted ways, Francesco said, "As for her family situation, I think you should ask her, though I get the impression it's not a pleasant topic for her."

Lucien thought back to the time he had studied history with Luna in the library. After her little lecture, she had briefly touched upon her family and then gone silent, looking unusually lost. "Well, if she's got any problems, I'd like to help her if I can."

Francesco smiled, opening the door to his dormitory. "That's all we can do, innit?" He turned around and raised his arm. "Good night, my friend." The door slammed shut behind him, and Lucien entered his own dorm. 

It was warm inside, lamps still lit to welcome any students who came home late. On weekends, the dorms remained open until much later, while the door locked at ten in the evening on weekdays. Some students tried to use this opportunity to visit someone of the opposite sex, but you never knew when a receptionist would sit at their desk, using their judgemental gazes to discourage such relations at campus even when they didn't have school the next day.

Seeing that he had no new letters to read, he made his way up the stairs to enter his room. He had sent a letter to Lord Holton to share the good news of his examination results, but he supposed that such a busy man would need a few days to answer such a letter, if he even did. Still, it had felt right to update his benefactor personally and once again extend his thanks. 

Unlocking his door, he was looking forward to going to bed, wanting to be ready for his dance class with Luna tomorrow. The dark wooden door creaked a little as he opened it, meeting a strange gust of wind coming from his empty room. Had he forgotten to close the window?

Moving slowly, he lit up the kerosene lamp on his nightstand, spotting a rock on the floor which had been thrown in through the window overlooking the greenery of the campus. There was a large hole right in the middle of it, which had sent tiny shards of glass scattering all over the floor in an area around the window sill.

Infuriated, he picked up the rock and saw that there was a note attached to it, clumsily tied together by a small, beige rope which had crumpled the paper, but the message was short and written in large, red letters, making it easy to read.

_**LOWBORN CRIMINALS DON'T BELONG AT ELDON** _

That was it, no further details or other clues that would help Lucien identify the perpetrator. Resisting the urge to tear the paper up, he refrained as the only clue he had was the handwriting. Reading this made him even angrier, making it hard to stand still as he began pacing back and forth in the part of the room that was not covered with glass shards. He needed an outlet for the emotions that welled up inside him, but there was little he could do alone at night on campus. Biting the nail of his thumb, he only snapped out of it when he heard a light crunch.

With a heavy sigh, he walked out to the corridor of the dormitory and grabbed a broom from a shared room in which the students stored cleaning tools and other items needed for proper housekeeping. It didn't take long to clean up the glass shards, but Lucien wanted to be thorough and kept swiping for several minutes, his strokes getting harder as he grit his teeth in frustration. 

When he had had enough, he disposed of the shards and returned the broom, slamming his door behind him and made sure he locked it properly. Lowering the curtains, he sat down on his bed, thinking about how he would need to report this to the receptionist tomorrow morning. For now, he had to deal with the broken window and the cool night air that seeped through the broken glass, making the light curtains move like a wave approaching the shore.

Trying to calm down, he undressed and put on his nightwear and brushed his teeth, then lied down in his bed with his hands under his head as he looked up at the ceiling. Who could have done this? The 'why' was obvious, having been made more than clear by the message. Interestingly, Lucien found himself not suspecting Victoria at all: any problem she had with him she would confront him about directly. She was many things, but not a coward like the one who had thrown the rock.

Whoever was behind this knew where he lived, and while that knowledge was frighening, it was, perhaps, the only other real clue he had. Lucien may have stuck out like a sore thumb at Eldon Academy, but that didn't mean everyone knew which room was his. Thinking about it logically, it would make more sense if it was a man who was the culprit, as the odds of them having seen him through his window was higher, seeing as the women's dormitories were on the other side of the campus. 

' _Probably a man and a coward, huh..._ ' Lucien thought, exhaling as he turned to lie on his side, placing his hand under his pillow. ' _That hardly narrows it down much. As far as I know most of the people here are cowards unfit to help govern the Cazarian Empire..._ '

Despite how wonderful his evening had been, Lucien fell asleep with dark thoughts in his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A chance to get to know the characters a bit more! 
> 
> This chapter has been done for a while and the first draft of chapter four is finished too, so I'll try to release it in a week's time. While this was mostly a relaxing chapter for our heroes, I felt like it had to end with some twisting of the knife. 
> 
> As always, please let me know what you think in a comment! I've got a good plan for several chapters ahead, and there'll be more intrigues, challenges, and fan service ahead.


	4. Dancing the Days Away

After waking up and making himself ready for the new day, Lucien put on his training outfit consisting of a simple blue pair of shorts and a white shirt and headed out, making doubly sure he locked the door behind him so that no unpleasant surprises would wait for him when he got back. The broken window and the message he had been sent still weighed heavily on his mind, and he reported the incident to the receptionist as soon as he reached the foyer. His window would be fixed within the week, but the woman at the desk had no clue as to who could have thrown the rock.

"There's a letter waiting for you though." The receptionist said, trying to cheer him up and be helpful. 

Thanking her, Lucien opened his postbox, a grey, small one out of many close to the door that led out to campus, and picked up a small letter which was written in a beautiful handwriting.

_Dear Lucien Thatcher,_

_Bully, I say! Capital! Congratulations on your excellent results, my boy, it cheers up this old, fat man who's busy with spreading educational equality throughout our great nation._

_I realize you must have been having a hard time until now, Lucien. I know nobles, being one and having dealt with them my entire life. Most of them can't stomach things that do not fit their preconceived notions, which means they want to preserve any sort of status quo for as long as they can, even as the world changes around them. Do not be surprised if you were to find out that most of them would rather turn back time than move forward, even should the future be bright and rife with opportunities for all rather than a select few. They are a stagnant beast._

_In that sense I suppose I must admit I use you, my boy. You see, your presence at Eldon Academy is an outlier and a real thorn in certain nobles' pride; they say that you do no belong and that I am interrupting the traditional order of things by having allowed you to study there. Well, to that I say it is time for something new and that one's origins do not determine one's capabilities. You are living proof of that._

_Indeed, this static worldview of theirs may pose a danger to our great nation. Anti-magic and anti-nobility sentiments have been growing for a while now, and due to the rapid technological progress in the empire, news travel faster than ever before, making it easier for these people to convene and share their ideas. All things magic and dyra have long been associated with the nobility, regardless of how many great impoverished mages have come from humble beginnings. Perhaps one could say Eldon Academy, the shining beacon of magical knowledge of the Cazarian Empire, with its discriminatory practices, lies at the heart of that, or at the very least serves as a perfect example. If magical knowledge and training were shared equally, then these people who hold this hatred in their hearts would hopefully be placated._

_You, my dear boy, are part of the fresh spring breeze of the coming age. With your humble roots you will blossom at a prestigious, previously noble-only institution, paving the way for others to follow in your footsteps. Such is my hope._

_Oh, and do not worry, I am not asking you to do anything more than what you currently have been doing. Study, grow stronger, and eventually, none will be able to deny the truth before their very eyes._

_Faithfully,_   
_Lord Oliver Holton, minister of education on behalf of his Imperial Majesty_

Lucien read the letter thoroughly once, then again just to make sure he had understood everything correctly. He would have understood if Lord Holton hadn't replied at all, but the minister of education himself had written a personal and even motivating letter. 'The fresh spring breeze of the coming age' definitely had a nice ring to it; his benefactor sure had a way with words. 

It was a strange feeling to have someone that important placing his hopes and expectations on him; while Lucien had, since the very first day, wanted to show his appreciation for this chance and to not waste all of Lord Holton's efforts, he had mostly been thinking about himself and what would happen if he failed. The fact that studying at Eldon Academy might help less fortunate people, just like how Lord Holton had helped him, had not occurred to him, and this knowledge filled Lucien with pride. It was yet another reason to keep working hard.

There was a strange sort of satisfaction he got from his presence here bothering the nobles in the imperial capital Altheus and beyond, though as someone who had tried to keep a low profile all his life, it was also a frightening notion. These were not, presumably, people one would want as an opponent; who knew what kind of problems they could cause him later down the line? Then again, between Lord Holton and rising tensions between them and people's distrust of magic, it sounded as though the nobility had bigger concerns to worry about.

Putting the letter back in the envelope, Lucien carefully put it in his pocket and headed out into another sunny day, the cloudless sky and flowers blooming everywhere making it feel as though summer was just around the corner. Soon they wouldn't need to wear the blue blazers as part of the school uniform anymore, and the male students would be allowed to wear shorts rather than the long trousers they were stuck with now which were quickly getting too warm for the season. This heat had caught people by surprise, as numerous students enjoying their last day of the week off had brought a jacket or a sweater out with them, only to then remove it and wrap it around their waists. It wouldn't take long before they could go to the beach at the western part of the peninsula.

Today marked the first day of his dance practice with Luna, something he had both been dreading and looking forward to. Almost a week had passed since she promised to teach him how to dance, but there was no way to tell how long it would take to get ready for the upcoming ball, or if two months were enough. While Lucien knew little of these things, Luna had said all students were expected to attend, although it was primarily an event for the three years students, like a premature farewell before they would part ways and leave their time at the academy behind them. Hopefully that meant he would get away with knowing only the basics of dancing.

Luna was waiting for him outside of the main building, leaning against one of the outer columns, one foot raised and pushed against the white stone. Her short, wild silver hair shined in the sun, reminding Lucien of a star. She was also dressed for a workout, wearing black leggings and a white shirt, covering more skin than she usually did when she wasn't wearing her uniform, more than likely because of the inevitable close contact they'd have today.

"Good morning." She said once she saw him, stretching out a clenched fist for Lucien to bump. "There are a few rooms we could use in here even though it's the weekend." She informed him, wasting no time in opening the door into the fancy hall of the first floor where the statue of the first Cazarian emperor greeted them as always. The air of dignity and tradition always made its presence known when you entered.

The two walked up to the third floor and into a central classroom that had once been used for choir practice but had now been converted to a more relaxed study room. It would've been big enough for ten more couples to practice here at the same time, seeing as the floor was mostly open save for a few tables and chairs, as well as a couch next to two large windows facing north. It was a pleasant place, but it felt strange to be here during a weekend alone to practice dancing. This feeling did not go away when Luna closed the door and smirked at him.

"You're about to get all warm from physical exertion and close contact with a pretty girl, alone in a room at school. You sure are lucky." She got up close, looking up at him with that teasing expression of hers. There was a distinct scent of vanilla wrapped around her, a sweet smell which he hadn't picked up on until she was standing merely a few centimeters in front of him. 

"I was hoping you wouldn't make this weird." 

"I'm merely stating the truth."

"You know what I mean!"

"And why would I ever pass up the opportunity to watch you blush? Luna grabbed Lucien's cheek between her finger and thumb and tugged at it as if playing with a child. 

Grabbing hold of her thin wrist, he gently lowered her hand from his face and rubbed his palm over the area she had pinched. "I'm not doing that dance, thanks."

Making a disappointed sigh with an exaggerated pout, Luna soon adopted her usual, more stoic expression to show that it was time to get serious. Taking a step back, she adjusted her hair a little before she began. "Alright, so you've told me that you need to start with the very basics. Is there any ballroom dance you know of?"

"Oh, uh, waltz, right?"

"Very good, and it's a good place to start." Her voice was encouraging as she turned her back to him, tapping her right foot against the ground to bring his attention to it. "The simplest dance step is called a 'box step', 'cause the pattern stays within a square. Just look at how I move first before you try to copy it. Normally when dancing, men lead and ladies follow – don't ask me why – which means that it'll be your job to guide your partner and transition to different steps."

Luna took a step forward with her right foot, lowering her heel before her toes, barely making a sound as she moved. "Right foot forward first." She pointed out, looking back at him over her shoulder. Looking forward again, she took a step to the left and then closed the distance with her right foot. "That makes three steps out of six to complete this specific pattern." Repeating the pattern in reverse, she took a step back with her left foot, followed by a step to the right, and then finished by closing her left foot to her right.

So far, it didn't seem too complex, though Lucien realized that this was just the beginning, or else his new teacher wouldn't have suggested practicing until the day of the ball. 

"Now it's your turn. Do the same steps I did and imagine that you're only allowed to move within a square, yes, just like that, good. One two three, one two three..." Looking down at his feet, Luna kept a hand on her chin as if deep in thought, not letting any detail slip through her hawkish gaze. "It's important you get the rhythm right from the get-go, one two three, one two three..." 

She stopped him after two minutes, arms crossed as she sized him up, her eyes moving from his feet to his face at a slow pace. "Hmm, you're taller than I am."

Blinking twice, Lucien asked, "You only just noticed that? I'm at least a head taller than you!" 

Waving his words away with a wave of her small hand as if to tell him she couldn't be bothered to worry about such petty details, Luna said, "Yes yes, you are very tall and handsome, Lucy. Still, I was thinking about how we'll work as a pair when dancing – I think it should be fine for the ball, but if this were a competition we'd have a bit of a problem." 

"I think my lack of dancing skills would pose a bigger problem." He replied with a chuckle. 

"Hmph, that won't be a problem by the time I'm done with you." She said, her tone flat as usual despite how ominously she phrased it. Taking a step closer, she took hold of his wrists, guiding them as she adjusted his position. "Place your arm on my back here with your right hand like this; I'll place my left hand on your arm. Then, you'll stretch out your left arm like this, and you'll clasp my right hand like this...alright, yes, very good. How does this feel?"

Lucien felt more self-conscious than he'd like to let on. He knew that this was a platonic activity that everyone at school would engage in at the same time, but even though he wasn't holding her tightly, he couldn't help but worry that his palms would start sweating or something equally embarrassing of that nature. "Just fine." He said after a moment's consideration, one hand resting on her slim back while the other gently held hers. His hands weren't as big as someone like Francesco's, but they were still a fair bit bigger than Luna's, and he couldn't help noticing just how smooth her skin was compared to his, a reminder of the different worlds they came from.

"Nice biceps." She commented breezily, squeezing his arm twice with her left hand. "Hmm, you could stand to work out a little bit more though. Y'know, to get even fitter to increase your supply of dyra, not for my sake."

"Uh-huh." Lucien looked down at her, meeting those playful green eyes with his cold blue ones. "I take it I don't look like one of those guys in your stories. Just how muscular do you write them, anyway?"

Luna giggled innocently, squeezing his arm again for good measure. "How uncouth of you to poke fun at a maiden's preferences." Looking down, she gingerly tapped on her partner's right foot with her own, skillfully changing the topic of the conversation. "We'll practice the box step together. When you move forward with your right, I'll move back with my left. Try to place your foot somewhere between mine, however; don't just try to match my steps one to one. I'll count to keep the rhythm, so you just focus on repeating the same steps you did before, alright?"

Exhaling as he mentally went through the basic steps in his head again, Lucien replied, "Yeah, let's do this, I'm ready" 

"Alright then, one two three, one two three..." The silver-haired woman began counting again, keeping track of the pace so that her student wouldn't have to worry about that at this early stage of the learning process. Lucien accidentally stepped on her foot once, while also moving left instead of right at one point, but other than that, he managed to keep repeating this simple pattern without much trouble.

It was, of course, simply the beginning, and Luna continued showing him new steps and things to keep in mind while dancing, from keeping the correct posture to ball dance etiquette. It was like a world in and of itself, with its own laws and history, carved out by countless people who had come before them to improve, change, or create a whole new interpretation of the dance. Yet despite all the rules surrounding it, it was also meant to be a pure form of expression where one's individuality would shine through. This sounded good in practice, but Lucien was busy just trying to keep up with his partner and remember all the steps which he executed clumsily. Still, he refused to give up that easily, and managed to hold out without making too much of a joke out of himself until Luna finally told him that they were done for the day.

Sitting down on the couch in front of the window, Lucien breathed deeply and kept a hand on his forehead. "I've never spun around that much before, that's for sure."

Luna joined him, leaning against the back cushions and placed her hands behind her neck, seemingly unaffected by the hour or so of dancing. Her breathing was barely affected, and there was only a light pink on her cheeks from their joint exercise. "You did fine."

"It's all thanks to you." He looked at her with a smile, catching his breath. "I really am grateful for your help, Luna; I didn't even know there was a ball in the first place." 

"Don't mention it." She said lazily, not even sitting up to look at him but merely tilting her head to the left, meeting his gaze. "I'm having fun." 

Chuckling, the black-haired man also leaned against the dark blue back cushions, sinking into their soft embrace with his eyes forward, locked onto the closed door for no real reason. "I can tell, you always sound like you're having a good time when you're teaching something. Maybe that really is your calling." His tone was lighthearted and friendly, but that didn't mean he wasn't serious.

She looked up at the ceiling, arms still behind her neck, mulling over his words. Normally, she was very quick to respond to anything, but now she was taking her time. "That doesn't sound too bad. What do you want to do when you're done with Eldon Academy? You're so focused on the present that I rarely hear about your past or future."

"I mean, that's because my situation is what it is. My time mostly just goes to trying to stay afloat so I don't get kicked out." He said, his voice low, almost a murmur. Staying silent for a moment, Lucien also looked up at the ceiling as if he were looking up at the stars in the sky. "As for what I want to do in the future...well, first I need to properly give my thanks to Lord Holton, but after that, I'll return to my old neighborhood and help people like me however I can. I'd like to build a school and a soup kitchen, for starters, but I guess I need a lot of money for that." He sighed wistfully, but he allowed himself a small smile as he thought about his dream. 

"Lucien..." Luna said, sitting up straight and looking uncharacteristically emotional, the surprise evident on her face.

"Oh hey, maybe you could be a teacher at the school." He suggested. "'Professor Stillwater' has a very nice ring to it."

Smiling, she played with a lock of her hair, twirling it around her index finger. "So what you're saying is that you want to spend the rest of our lives together?" She wasn't looking at him, her head tilted slightly to the side. If Lucien hadn't known better, he'd say she looked embarrassed.

"W-Well, I mean, it's just an entertaining thought. You seem to like teaching, so I thought it'd be a good fit, and..." 

Luna's giggle interrupted him. It was the first time he had heard her make such a cute sound, carefree and unusually girlish, complete with an open, heartfelt smile that made her pretty face look even more beautiful than usual. "I'm sorry, I'm often giving you a hard time and now I kind of feel bad about it because you're so sweet." She stood up and beamed at him, placing one hand on her wide hips. "Thanks, Lucien, that's a kind offer."

Rubbing the back of his head, he wasn't even sure what to say; reading Luna was like trying to predict next month's weather. Still, she sounded happy. "Does this mean you'll cut back on your teasing?"

Her expression turned more devious, like a cat about to play with a cornered mouse. "No." She stated simply, motioning for him to get up. "But I'll want to hear more about you during our next class next week. Now let's go get something to eat."

Skipping ahead, his dance teacher opened the door and walked out and Lucien followed her. It was only after she left the room that he realized she hadn't talked about herself at all.

* * * * * 

While the dining hall's furniture was simple in order to accommodate for all the students and staff members at the school, with several rows of tables put together like a long queue, the room itself was beautiful. The windows were built high up, some of them featuring colored glass art that portrayed a beautiful natural scenery, like the open ocean as seen from a forest glade or a dark night lit up by shining stars. Wooden beams arched from the wall, looking as though they carried the very high ceiling, from which chandeliers were hanging. Along the walls there were white kerosene lamps and paintings lined up all the way where you ordered your food. Cazarian tastes, which included interior design, could get a bit pompous compared to many other countries, or so the saying went, but while the dining hall was beautiful, it would be hard to call it extravagant.

Now that summer was just around the corner, there were also a few tables right outside of the building so that the students could enjoy their meals in the sun. Having spotted Francesco, Luna and Lucien ate together with him.

"I miss my pasta already." Francesco sighed, poking at a perfectly fine piece of meat, yet his sad, brown eyes made it look as though he had been served boiled leather boots. 

"You'll go broke if you go to Westpoint to eat every day." Lucien said with a laugh. While yesterday's southern cuisine had been delightful, he was content with his fish soup. "Plus, you'd get bored of it if you ate pasta all the time."

The blond man grunted, dropping his fork and taking a drink of water instead. "Bah, I know you're right but that doesn't mean I have to like it." Shaking his head as if to mentally leave this topic behind him, he asked, "So, how did the dancing go?"

"Lucien's hand caressed my back constantly." Luna said, not looking up from her food. "I wonder if he could focus on what I was trying to teach him."

"Wait wait wait!" The former thief said, raising his hands, looking between his two lunch companions. "Y-You showed me where to place my hands, and you were the one who squeezed my biceps!"

The silver-haired girl chewed on her food thoughtfully. "Huh, maybe you're right." She turned to Francesco. "Speaking of which, think you can help him with some exercise? I want him to get even more fit. ...For his supply of dyra's sake, of course. He must be ready for the next examination." 

"Hey, Lucien, what was it you said about me and Luna acting like siblings? I wonder how I should describe your relationship..." Francesco muttered quietly and then cleared his throat. "But yeah! The athletics clubs have a gym together and I was heading there after lunch anyway. You could both come; sure makes it more fun when you've got someone to talk to. I usually go with someone from the fencing club but I haven't asked anyone yet today."

Luna put a small hand on her skinny arm. "Sure, sounds like fun. We could see who can bench press the most." 

"If I don't win I'll never be able to look myself in the mirror again." Francesco said, sounding entertained by the challenge. "You can't both score higher than me on the tests and then also show me up in sports and training; that'd go against the laws of nature and leave me with nothing!" 

They finished their meal while talking about nothing in particular, the buzz coming from both within and outside the dining hall sounding so carefree that one could've been forgiven for assuming the summer holiday was starting soon and that they wouldn't have yet another series of tests before then. On a day like this it was easy to forget one's woes and troubles, the weather and atmosphere painting an almost idyllic painting of everyday life. 

Still, there was one thing Lucient felt like bringing up. He had come to rely on his friends too much in the relatively short time since he came here, and he didn't want to burden them, but at the same time, they would probably scold him if he kept something troubling to himself and didn't trust them enough to share the news. "I recently received two messages, by the way. One good and one bad. Which one should I start with?"

"Well now, it's not like you to share stuff like this!" Francesco said, a hint of surprise in his tone. "Any romance involved?"

"No, sadly."

"Damn. Well then, start with the bad news and get it over with first."

Crossing one leg over the other as if assuming a defensive position, the black-haired man said, "Someone threw a rock through my window last night when we were out at the restaurant. It said 'lowborn criminals don't belong at Eldon', I believe; I've got it on my desk in my room."

Francesco's visage darkened noticeably while Luna frowned. The lady of Stillwater was the first to speak up, "Are they implying that highborn criminals belong here? What a tosser."

"What kind of coward chugs a rock through someone's window? If they've got a problem with you they should just talk it out with you face to face, not hide in the shadows like a coward." Shaking his head, he leaned forward, his arms resting on the table. "Got any clue who it was?"

"None right now." Lucien replied simply. "I believe it to be a male student, as one would be more likely to know which room is mine, though that's hardly conclusive. I wonder if I can use the note to compare handwriting, but then again even if I had access to a bunch of documents, we're almost three hundred students at this academy." He had given this much thought but as far as he knew it would be difficult to find the culprit with what limited information he had. "At least my window should be fixed within the week."

Scoffing, the blond man merely muttered, "Unbelievable..."

"Sounds like someone found out you wouldn't get kicked out." Luna said. "And this was their way to vent their anger when they found out you were not on campus. Sure sounds like a slimy prick, but hopefully not the dangerous kind. With any luck they'll reveal themselves soon."

"Thanks, guys. I must admit I was pretty upset about the whole thing, but then I got a letter from Lord Holton, the guy who arranged for me to come here." Lucien explained, his mood brightening once he began talking about the letter. He recounted its contents to his friends in as much detail as he could remember, mentioning the education minister's enthusiasm as well as what he had mentioned about the anti-magic groups and rising anti-nobility sentiment spreading across the Cazarian Empire.

Once again, Francesco looked ill at ease with what Lucien was saying, a shadow remaining over his face when he spoke. "I'm glad some big shot is looking out for you, really, but I worry about this whole situation. Besides, I've heard that Lord Holton is an ambitious man; I hope you didn't sign a contract saying you owe him anything."

"He's been nothing but kind to me." Lucien said, his tone defensive. "I've never had to sign anything different aside from my stipend."

"But he also benefits from having you here." Luna pointed out, her face not showing much emotion. She stretched her legs out under the table, tapping the ground as though she were still dancing, yet the clothes she was wearing were more reminiscent of a runner's. "I mean it sounds like you got the good end of the deal but I've also heard whispers of Lord Holton. Still, I've also heard he's been championing educational equality for many years, so maybe the guy just walks his own talk."

Lucien didn't know what to say to rumors shared by the nobility. It was true that he knew little of Lord Holton or his motives, but no demands had been placed on him other than the requirement that his grades remain consistently high. At no point had his benefactor ever asked for anything in return or shown him anything but kindness. So long as he could stay here and hone his skills, he would be grateful, and that was also everything that Lord Holton had asked for in his letter.

' _But why did he write so much about the nobility and politics?_ ' The black-haired man asked himself.

Clapping his hands, Francesco stood up, his height making it look like he was towering over them when they remained seated. "That's enough of that, I think! We're young and should be moving our gods-given bodies rather than sitting down frowning like this. Let's go get some muscle on you two instead; the pieces to solving these puzzles will come in time, I'm sure, so we might as well work out while we wait!" 

The man from the south began walking, leaving no room for debate. Luna stood up as well, patted Lucien on the back with a wink, then she followed Francesco. "C'mon."

Snapped out of his contemplation, he blinked as he watched his comrades walk away from him. "H-Hey!" He called out, hurrying after them. "You forgot to put your plates away!"

Between studying, dance training, and working out under Francesco's guidance, Lucien grew even busier than he had been until that point, and the days soon turned to weeks as his daily scheduled was filled activities that left him physically and mentally drained, but immensely satisfied. Spending time with his friends every day was equally rewarding, making him feel as though he belonged at this school even though everyone else came from such radically different backgrounds than him. Victoria kept her distance from him, just like she had done since their duel ended, leaving their strained relationship in a status quo, and it was one thing Lucien, amidst all his other obligations and projects, had neither the time nor the interest to improve.

The fifth month of the year 831 of the imperial calendar passed without anything out of the ordinary happening. Lucien's window was quickly fixed as had been promised, the days grew longer and the nights shorter, prompting talks of going to the beach, and the students of Eldon Academy began studying more seriously as the next examination week, the last one before the summer vacation, came closer with every passing day.

* * * * *

In the beginning of the sixth month of the imperial calendar, Lucien and Luna once again found themselves in 'their' room on the third floor, practicing dancing on the last day of the week. This was a tradition that the black-haired student had grown very fond of, even if his steps were still far from graceful. His teacher was tough but fair, showing him new steps every class while making sure he hadn't forgotten any of the old. While it would hardly win any prizes, Lucien hoped his dancing would be enough not to stick out too much during the ball next month.

As they moved together across the mostly empty floor of the study room, there was one thing that was not like normal: Luna's clothes.

While Lucien had tried to avoid commenting or thinking too much about it, her current outfit was a lot more revealing than usual. Similar to her green shorts she often wore during days off, her current black trousers were simply too small and tight, showing off her shapely legs and porcelain skin in all their splendor. Furthermore, it accentuated her wide hips, a notable trait for someone as short and slim as Luna, and as if that wasn't enough, her top exposed a large portion of her perfectly flat stomach, which would've been fine had the current dance not required him to hold on to her waist.

It wasn't as though physical intimacy scared Lucien, but the young lady of Stillwater was exceedingly pretty and prone to teasing which kept him on edge. He was also not used to being so close to someone for this long, and her current state of dress made it difficult for him to focus on dancing as his thoughts wandered into other, more dangerous territories. The skin of her back was so soft, yet despite being slim, one could feel the results of the many hours of dance practice or whatever other physical activities she had spent her time on.

Luna was dancing close, this particular dance being slower and more romantic than the ones they had worked on before. As always, her hair smelled like vanilla, a scent that he had come to cherish, though it too served to distract him from the actual dancing. 

"You seem distracted today." She said suddenly, not pausing their practice. Her tone was mostly neutral, but there was a hint of smugness in it not masked by her stoic expression. 

"Just trying to focus." He explained with a murmur, one hand still on her waist and the other holding hers. 

Snickering, she looked up and said, "On the right things, I hope."

Lucien backed off and sat down on the couch as the female student laughed at his embarrassment, soon joining him on the soft cushions in front of the large window. They always sat down there after they were done for the day, it having become a ritual to talk about whatever was on their mind.

It was raining outside, a pattering on the window behind them that filled any moment of silence. Outside, people were running for cover, back to their rooms or into the faculties of the school, but it was still warm outside, the western summer breezes that rustled the leaves of Eldon Academy's many trees, bringing with them the smell of the sea . The dark sky stood in stark contrast to the luscious colors of the gardens in the campus, flowers of every color in full bloom lined up along the stone paths that snaked around school. 

Yet the room in which the dancing duo was looked the same as ever, the few tables and chais in it not having moved more than a few centimeters in weeks. The room must've seen little use outside of their weekly dance practice, which was a comforting thought: this room was their own little refuge.

"Any news on the stone thrower, by the way?" Luna asked, sitting on the side with her elbow against the backrest, looking at Lucien.

"No, it's been all quiet on that front." He paused to think, leaning forward while supporting his weight with his elbows resting on his knees. "Many nobles still maintain their distance, but only Francis loudly makes his displeasure known at this point; Victoria basically just started ignoring my existence after our duel."

She nodded. "I see. Well, at least there is no more bad news to report, so that's good." 

Grunting, Lucien said, "Well, aside from the next exam week coming up. There's less than a month left."

Luna leaned to the side and patted him on the back as though she was trying to help clear his throat after a series of violent coughs. "There there."

"Thanks, I feel much more confident now." 

"You're welcome. I can help out with your history studies again if you want."

He chuckled, smiling at his odd friend. "Do you think I rely too much on you and Francesco?"

"Yeah, but it's part of your charm. You're like a helpless little brother." Luna replied without a shred of irony in her voice, though Lucien knew better than to judge her only based on her tone and expression; her brand of humor was difficult to understand. "Maybe the school should pay me for being your babysitter. Francesco's too, come to think about it, since I'm always keeping track of his weights when we work out together. Without me I worry his spine would've snapped in two."

"Whatever would we do without you, Luna?"

"Not dance, that's for sure."

"Well, you're not wrong, but you sure have your claws out today." Lucien said, his pride mildly bruised by the stinging remarks, but he laughed it off. "Speaking of dancing, it's a month left until the ball, and you've said we need to ask our partners out in advance. You must have gotten a lot of invitations by this point, no?"

She was quiet for a while, making it immediately clear that he had touched a nerve somehow. The rain still whipped at the window, filling the void in the seconds Luna remained silent. "I haven't."

"Oh."

Another tense silence filled the room, one Lucien had never felt in Luna's company before. She normally joked about everyone and everything, taking everything in stride and never losing her confidence, yet this normal question seemed to have caught her by surprise. It was almost hard to breathe due to the pressure, and he felt a need to apologize even though he didn't know what he had done wrong.

Thankfully, the silver-haired girl seemed to notice his distress and offered a small smile, placing a hand on his back. "Sorry, there's just..." Her voice trailed off and she looked out the window at the dark clouds high above them, then straight ahead again. "I don't think I can attend."

Lucien recoiled, the news hit him almost like a physical blow. Frowning, he asked, "What? Why? Are you going somewhere?"

"No, I'll still be here." She answered, calm as if trying to soothe his worries. "It's just a complicated situation, so it's better if I keep a low profile." She grinned as if her previous blues were washed away by the salty, rainy wind outside. "'Sides, this way you can't cheat and just ask me out for the dance. You'll need to get a bit more creative than that."

There was something sad in her tone that she had trouble covering up, and her smile didn't reach her eyes. Her expression looked joyless and strained despite her best efforts to convince him of the contrary.

Seeing his friend like that hurt, and Lucien realized he had to say something, even if he didn't know what. "Look, you don't have to tell me anything you're not comfortable with but..." He hesitated, stood up and offered his hand, stretching it out towards the still sitting Luna. "But you're the only one I want to dance with, so there'll be no point in me going if you're not there."

She looked at him, her emerald eyes not blinking for several seconds. Her face then softened, a genuine smile soon replacing her previously pained expression, and she took his hand, standing up and said, "Oh my, I didn't think you had it in you to say something like that." Shaking her head, she got up close, placed her hands on his chest and stood on her toes to place a soft, quick peck on his right cheek. "Thanks."

"Uuuh..." He rubbed the place where she had kissed him in visible confusion, his head feeling as though he was spinning. It had lasted for less than a second, yet it felt as though her lips had left a searing mark on his cheek. "You're welcome."

Snickering, she led him to the center of the room, her spirits seemingly restored. "C'mon, let's do this once again. You should seize the chance to dance with a beautiful girl when you can, no? Once my regular workout clothes are washed, who knows when you'll be able to see me in this getup again? A compliment or two are always good when you're on the dance floor, so don't be afraid to practice that with me as well."

* * * * * 

Even though it was nearing midnight, Luna was still sitting at her desk, writing in a small, leatherbound notebook that may have looked like any other tool to bring to class, and yet it hadn't left her room since she had come to Eldon. This was her private journal, meant for her eyes and her eyes alone...unless she one day ever felt like sharing its contents with someone, of course. 

It was dead silent save for the rasping of her pen against the high quality paper, most women in the dorm having gone to bed already. The window in her room blocked out the noise of the crickets outside, and so she could focus on writing in peace, finding an outlet for all kinds of different thoughts that had been taking up unnecessary space in her head.

Tapping her chin with the tip of her pen, she pondered on a phrase, lifting up her legs and placing them on the desk as she leaned back in her chair, picking up the notebook and holding it closer to her. Her room may have been small, but it was comfortable, even if she didn't spend much time in it. The white wallpaper with a dark floral pattern could have looked gaudy, but something made it work surprisingly well, creating a homely atmosphere in this home away from home, and aside from that she had everything she needed for her studies, though she missed the horses from her family's estate and sometimes found herself thinking about them now that she was so far away. 

But there was little point in thinking about that now. Luna continued writing in her notebook, moving her pen harder than she had planned. There was a smirk on her lips, unbeknownst to even herself, as she laughed to herself as she continued writing. "Heh heh heh...fufufu...oooh this is good..." 

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, and as if acting on pure instinct, she opened the top drawer of her desk and threw both pen and paper in there and slammed it shut. She hadn't expected any visitors this late at night, having already put on her black nightgown with the intention of going to bed within the next few minutes. Standing up, the silver-haired woman walked up to her door and looked out through the peephole, seeing only one person standing there.

Opening immediately, Luna greeted her late guest. "Lady Ashbury. Please come in."

Victoria nodded, entering the room as the other woman locked the door behind her. She didn't sit down, but merely stood in the center of the room with her hands clasped in front of her, looking elegant and composed. Still wearing regular clothes, a casual blue dress and a black handbag to go with it, she looked as though she had just come home from somewhere. 

"Good evening, Luna." She said after a while, lowering her head slightly. "I pray I am not interrupting anything nor disturbing your sleep."

Praying that her classmate wouldn't open the top drawer of the desk for whatever reason, Luna stood in front of it, crossing her arms. "No, I was still up. How may I help?"

Victoria hesitated, fiddling with the strap of her handbag. "We haven't spoken much since we both ended up in the same class."

"No, we haven't." She replied, looking to the side as the atmosphere thickened, neither of the two knowing what to say; this talk had been postponed long enough, and a midnight girl talk was as good an opportunity to clear the air as any. "I didn't know what to say, or how." Her voice was unusually somber. Between this and her previous chat with Lucien she worried that she was becoming a gloomy person.

"Nor I." Victoria said, her beautiful blue eyes looking straight into hers with a quiet intensity. They would have reminded her of Lucien's blue eyes had they been a little kinder and softer. "To tell you the truth, I was overjoyed to see you again, but..."

"Our families." Luna finished for her. "Especially me."

The redhead merely nodded, her blood red braids bobbing ever so slightly. "I know some of what happened four years ago, but not the details. Your letters grew shorter and less frequent until they stopped coming at all, and all around me people remained quiet as to your situation. I..." She cleared her throat, her grip on the handbag strap tensing up. "I was concerned. And now I see you here again of all places."

Of course she remembered how it had become harder to write those letters, yet now that it was brought up like this, she felt guilty, like a child being caught doing something they shouldn't have. "I'm sorry, Lady Ashbury."

"Please." Victoria said, taking half a step forward, her temper flaring up just a bit before she calmed herself down; she was as emotional as she always had been. "Don't call me that. Several years may have passed, but you were never one for formalities, and from what I've seen of you now you're less concerned with that than ever. Even if things can't return to the way they were, can you not refer to me as you always have?"

"Vicky..." It was still silent outside, eerily so, to the point where one could hear a needle fall to the ground. "Speaking to you like this makes me wonder where the time went, and why it took us weeks to meet up like this."

Victoria shook her head. "A lot has changed in four years, and our families' feud never did make it easy to remain friends." She sighed, sounding extraordinarily tired, and not just because of the late hour. "I tried to be a good Ashbury by keeping my distance."

Sitting down on her bed, Luna suddenly felt tired too. Memories and feelings she had tried to forget were rapidly coming to the forefront of her mind; she had, perhaps foolishly, thought that Eldon Academy would be a good place to get away from them, but being surrounded by all these important families made that impossible. "Yeah, that's what I assumed. I didn't want to overstep any boundaries."

"That never used to stop you before."

"A lot has happened in four years."

Victoria sat down on the bed as well, a part of her ladylike bearing crumbling, albeit temporarily, when she lazily leaned forward with a tired groan. She soon straightened her posture, placed her hands with perfectly kempt and polished nails in her lap and said, "You have made friends."

This was a more pleasant topic, one that lifted Luna's spirits enough to proudly declare, "Yeah, they're good people."

"I'm glad." Victoria said, though it was a well-practiced smile she offered in response, as if she had no choice but to answer thus. The facade of the perfect noblewoman of the most prestigious house aside from the imperial family was something the redheaded woman had learned quickly, which had allowed her to always excel at any gathering of important people that Luna had ever seen her attend. It rang false when there were no other people participating in the game of false flattery and schemes hidden behind friendly exteriors. 

"Y'know, you can drop the act when it's just me around here. I know you don't care much for either of them, 'specially Lucien." Luna said simply. 

Exhaling, the other noblewoman said, "Do not misunderstand, I am genuinely happy that the three of you get along. I simply pray they do not misuse your friendship or cause you any grief." 

"You should talk to them and not paint up a vilified image of them in your head." The silver-haired woman suggested. Thinking over her next words carefully, she finally asked, "Do you have any friends here?"

Victoria answered quickly. Too quickly. "I have Eric."

Remembering the image of a soft-spoken boy who was too easily pushed around even by those younger than him, Luna said, "Eric? Your cousin? He is two years older than you, so he won't even be here next year." Concerned, she continued, "Vicky, if you would just let people in, you'd-"

"I see no need." The Ashbury scion stood up and walked towards the door, holding her hand on the metal handle before she pushed it down. "Good night, Luna. It was most pleasant to speak with you again." Lowering the handle, she did not open the door immediately, but turned around, her expression conflicted. "I appreciate you looking after me, and so I will do the same in turn. Just like I may erect walls, so do you."

And with those dramatic final words, said as though the two women wouldn't see each other again for a long time, Victoria left. Despite them living only several doors apart down the same corridor, they hadn't had a proper conversation until tonight. Why?

Luna locked the door slowly, her fingers remaining on the key for an entire minute as she played the conversation over and over again in her head. Why had Victoria come tonight, and what exactly had she been after? Her sudden departure and request to be called by her old childhood nickname made the lady of Stillwater anxious, yet the parting words were what lingered in her mind. She would have liked to dismiss them, to say that she was always honest with herself and others, but she knew that would have been a lie. All she had to do was think back on the conversation she had had with Lucien earlier that day, and how in spite of his confusion and hurt expression, she hadn't been willing to tell her tale. 

Lying down on the bed, not even bothering to pull up the covers, not that they were necessary now that they were in the sixth month, the silver-haired girl sighed as she looked up at the ceiling, hands behind her head. Many thoughts swirled inside her head. It had been a short, stilted conversation, but it had been nice to talk to Victoria again, though who knew if things could ever return to the way they had been?

Yet there was one thought which filled her with a giddy joy on this otherwise dramatic night: Lucien's awkward declaration that there'd be no point in going to the ball without her. He must've been either embarrassed out of his mind, thought he sounded cool, or a mix of both when he said that. Maybe Victoria would've liked him more if she knew about that story? Not that Luna would share it with anyone; it was her and Lucien's private moment, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New friendships and new mysteries at Eldon Academy. I feel like there are several questions being asked now with few answers but don't worry, they're coming.
> 
> A friend of mine has made a few pictures of Luna, Victoria, and Lucien in Koikatsu! I'm super grateful for his help. While the program has its limitations (especially for male characters), I hope it can help convey a sense of what they look like. Please take a look here: https://imgur.com/a/jX5Gecx
> 
> As always, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and please let me know what you thought.


	5. Forest Gold - Part I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After more than two months, it is time for the second magical examination.

The sky was covered by a thick blanket of gray that stretched out as far as the eye could see, from beyond the horizon of the Sapphire Sea to the west towards the imperial capital Altheus in the east. There was no rain, however, and the students of Eldon Academy went to their respective class meetings at their own pace, with slow, heavy steps due to the early hour and looming magical examination which filled many of them with a sense of dread. 

Another week of intense studying and constant self-doubt had nearly passed. Lucien Thatcher had practically been locked up in his room while studying Cazarian, philosophy, history, and magical theory for the last few days, intent on repeating the miracle of over two months ago when he reached the top twenty of the one hundred students in his year. The pressure had been just as intense as last time, but the experience he had accumulated during his time at the school allowed him to be better prepared and efficient this time around, and he had received help in history from Luna, while he had pestered Francesco with philosophy questions just like last time. It was with confidence he left the last four days behind him and focused on the magical examination.

This upcoming test would most likely be even harder than the one in the third month, and that examination had ended with Lucien being hospitalized for a day and a half. Now, they had been called to a place south of the campus, further down the peninsula where nature and wilderness soon began dominating the landscape. 

The Eldon Peninsula which overlooked the western Sapphire Sea wasn't particularly big, but if you found yourself placed in the center of the southern wilderness it would take an hour or two before you found your way out. The trees grew thick, the terrain was uneven and filled with stones, roots and vines, and the eastern area looked downright mountainous. Moss covered several large, grey boulders, and there was a rustle in the foliage as if birds and other animals could sense an intruder and grew restless. It was a warm day of the sixth month, but there was a chill in the air coming from the forest.

It was a beautiful place in a wild, untamed sort of way, but Lucien felt relieved when he spotted his teacher on the dirt path at the outskirts of an even denser part of the woods. No doubt their task awaited them in there. 

Mrs Reed acknowledged his arrival with a nod. "You're the first one here, Lucien."

"I guess I am, ma'am." He answered, offering a short nod.

She exhaled, her long brown hair styled in a ponytail that lay in front of her shoulder. "You've done well in school, too. How do you like it here?"

Perhaps it was just busy smalltalk while they waited for other people to come, but even though these were normal questions for a teacher to ask, Lucien was surprised at the sudden interest shown in him. Mrs Reed had rarely interacted with him outside of class, and she had given off the impression that she wasn't overly fond of him. "I'm still an outsider, but I've made good friends." He phrased it as neutrally as he could, sitting down on one of the rocks nearby to rest his legs; this examination would more than likely require a lot of stamina.

"And what is your opinion of Lord Holton?"

That question caught Lucien off guard. Naturally, Mrs Reed had been told of his situation just like everyone else, student and teacher alike, but somehow it felt strange to hear her ask about his relationship with the minister of education. His instructor was a hard woman to read, not unlike Luna in that regard, but this felt like an evaluation that fell outside of school jurisdiction. 

"He is my benefactor. He picked me up from the streets and gave me a roof over my head, an education, and money to keep myself clothed and fed. How could anyone be anything but thankful?" The student answered frankly, though he didn't mention the letter he had received before, nor his peers' doubts surrounding Lord Holton's character; doing so might give off the impression that he was ungrateful or believed rumors spread by the nobility. He did not want to partake in anything that might dirty the minister's name.

Behind her, several students were making their way towards them, but they were still far outside of earshot. Mrs Reed smiled at the black-haired man's words, her brown eyes having given up their search for whatever it was she was looking for. "Lord Holton has helped me too, you know. He got me this job, in fact."

"What?" Lucien asked. "Mrs Reed, you-" 

"Have more in common with you than you knew, yes." Her expression was kind now, a new look for her. Somehow, it made her look older than her usual stoic self. "Lord Holton is a man who recognizes talent when he sees it. He may not be a mage nor a soldier, but he is a visionary." The other students were close now, and more were on the way. "But that is enough for now." 

Lucien stood up and whispered, "Wait, why are you telling me this?"

The instructor's face remained as kind as it had looked before when she spoke, "I suppose I see something of myself in you here amongst all the nobles and sons and daughters of the Empire's most prestigious families. Consider it my way of wishing you good luck today."

Turning around, Mrs Reed greeted the new students who arrived. Francis Clint, Rosa Williams, Victoria Ashbury, Hildegard Stein, Gabriel Müller...they came one after another, each taking in the surrounding area and looking into the dense forest ahead, each understanding where they would go next but also wondering what exactly the test would entail. 

Luna and Francesco showed up together, greeting Lucien and sitting down on the stone next to him. Everyone was wearing their uniforms, the blue blazers now since long discarded as they had switched to the summer uniform at the start of the sixth month. Keeping cool in the middle of summer would have been difficult with long trousers and sturdy blazers, though Lucien wondered how his female classmates would fare navigating the woods with those short skirts in today's examination. 

Once the entire class was there, Mrs Reed raised her hand and called everyone's attention. It was time to begin. 

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the second magic examination of your first year. By this point, you know that I don't like wasting any time, so let's get straight to it." She motioned towards the entrance of the denser part of the forest with a sweeping gesture. "As you have all no doubt deduced, your examination awaits you in there. You will be tasked with finding a golden orb that looks like this." She snapped her fingers, and out came a floating, golden sphere around the size of her head that lingered over her open palm.

No one said anything; they all knew there would have to be more to this.

"And here is the challenge: there are five orbs, but twenty-five of you." Mrs Reed explained, letting the orb vanish in a puff of dyra that looked like golden dust. "You must be in possession of an orb by noon in order to proceed to the next phase. You may not leave the forest during the first part."

Francesco chuckled. "Another two-parter, Instructor?"

She looked at him, unimpressed. "Yes, Mr di Mare, another two-parter. Do you have a witty comment to add?"

He raised his hands defensively, deflecting the older woman's lack of enthusiasm at his observation with an easy smile. "None." 

"That is still only one fifth of the whole class..." Rosa said, a brown-haired woman with a kind, round face and gentle voice. 

Looking pleased, Mrs Reed wagged a finger. "Ah, but that's not the case. You see, this is a team exercise. You will be split into pairs, save for one group which will consist of three class members. And before you ask, I have already decided on the teams. Furthermore, you must be near your teammates by noon, or else you will not be qualified for the second round. This is, like I just mentioned, a team exercise, after all."

Raising her hand, Luna asked, "You said we have to 'be in possession of' an orb by noon. This means we can steal each other's orbs, right?"

"Correct, Lady Stillwater." Their teacher said with a nod. "Like the arena, this forest has been enchanted by the instructors here to make sure your spells won't injure your classmates. However, the area is much bigger, and so the protective benefits are weaker, so you will have to control your powers the best you can. Just like last time, any form of sharp weapons is prohibited; you're meant to use your powers to hold on to or steal the orbs, not maim each other. I will be keeping a close eye on all of you."

"And the second part?" Victoria asked, her tone and expression serious as always when dealing with matters magical or academic. 

"Will be revealed to you at noon. Provided you have an orb." 

Lucien looked around. He knew who he would want on his team, but saying it aloud would more than likely change nothing. Instead, he remained silent and looked at everyone in the class, gauging them. Victoria and Francis couldn't stand him, nor did he care for them. Francesco and Luna were his only friends at the academy, while the remaining ones he had barely spoken to. He liked to believe that a lot had changed since his first day at Eldon, but he had not been particularly good at expanding his circle of friends. 

Having allowed everyone a chance to digest the instructions, Mrs Reed spoke again. "I'll now reveal the teams, so please listen up. First up: Lady Stein and Ms Ericson..."

One after another the teams were revealed, the tension in the air palpable. People ground their feet in the dirt, chewed on their nails or paced back and forth. Francesco eventually got paired up with Rosa, which was an interesting combination, while Luna wound up in the team of three with Valdemar Cliffsworth, whom Lucien didn't know at all, and Francis Clint, who Lucien didn't trust further than he could throw him.

"...Lady Ashbury and Lucien." Mrs Reed called out, continuing on with the next pair.

The two looked at each other in mild shock, their mutual surprise and frustration poorly concealed. For the next four hours, they would have to work together, possibly for longer if they reached the second phase of the examination. Their interactions had been few and limited ever since Lucien had spotted her on the verge of collapse after an intense evening training session. Now, they would have to work together for an extended period, and they couldn't do that if they didn't talk to each other.

Yet they remained still, neither taking the first step forward to start discussing their strategy or what they thought they'd find in the deep forest like the rest of the groups were doing now that Mrs Reed was finished going through all of their names. Like stubborn children, they expected the other to make the first move, as if anything else would be a sign of weakness.

"Hey, Thatcher." Francis called out, his brown hair greasily slicked back like always, his tone unfriendly as it broke the silent stalemate between Lucien and Victoria. "Don't try anything funny in there; I'll be keeping an eye on you." His round cheeks jiggled slightly as he spat the words out.

"My, do you think Lady Ashbury likes you more now that you've stood up for her?" Luna said from behind him, one eyebrow raised to show that she was judging him for this display. "What're you going to do, sabotage her test by attacking her partner?"

"Tsk...!" Francis spat, realizing the truth in Luna's words; picking a fight here could negatively impact Victoria's examination. 

Valdemar stood with his arms crossed, tall with a lean build and long dark blue-ish hair making him look like a hero from a children's tale. "Ignore the commoner, Lord Clint, and let's focus on our own approach for this challenge." He turned his back to Francis and walked several meters away, Luna following him after she gave a thumbs up to Lucien, wishing her friend good luck.

Frustrated, the brown-haired noble soon followed suit, casting a nasty glare at Lucien, who in turn replied with his best gloating smirk which he hoped looked at least half as cocky as Luna's usual smug grins.

"Good riddance." Lucien said, hoping his friend would be better equipped at dealing with Francis Clint than he was. Unlike some other classmates, Francis' outspoken distaste for him hadn't grown quieter with time. However, this time the man's anger had served a purpose, as his outburst gave Lucien an excuse to approach Victoria to get started on their teamwork, such as it was. Looking over at the redheaded student, he said, "Sounds like you've got a fan there."

Victoria glared at him but did walk closer, and Lucien took a few step towards her in turn. "What spells do you know?" Completely ignoring his little jab, the redhead went straight to business. They wouldn't sit down and joke around in the forest, that much was clear.

Taken aback by the suddenness of the question, the black-haired man said, "Oh, uh, well, you've seen them, more or less."

"Lightning, invisibility, and that rope...trick? Surely you must have learned more by this point." Her crystal blue gaze pierced him as though she was looking through him rather than at him. "We will need to locate an orb and then defend it until the examination ends. We must use both of our strengths to our utmost if we hope to stand against a potential series of assaults."

"I was thinking we could hide somewhere. There must be plenty of space in this forest, after all." 

Victoria leaned in closer after making sure there was no one listening in. "Don't be daft, thief. The orbs are magical. We can sense the dyra they exude, meaning people should be able to track us down if they don't have an orb – or even if they do have one; theoretically, a team could guarantee being the only victors by hoarding all the orbs themselves."

Lucien hadn't even considered these factors, much to his shame. He sheepishly rubbed the back of his head and looked around at the other teams, all strategizing and plotting; it suddenly felt like a much more sinister task than he had first thought. Like the duels of the first examination, the students would be competing against each other directly in a way that all but guaranteed physical confrontation. This time, however, the attack could come from anywhere at any time.

Their time was up now, however, as Mrs Reed suddenly pointed at two teams and said, "Enter the forest. Now."

The test had begun.

Without wasting any time, the two teams ran at a steady pace into the deeper part of the forest via the dirt path they had gathered around. Soon, they disappeared into the dark foliage of the inner woods, the lack of sun contributing to making it look like a maw swallowing the students. Everyone had fallen silent now and scooted closer to each other and the entrance of where their test would take place. It was like waiting for the signal before a race, people dug their heels into the damp soil and prepared to take off to find an orb before anyone else. Five spheres, twelve teams.

Two minutes passed before Mrs Reed pointed at Lucien and Victoria, and Francesco and Rosa. "Enter."

The two teams took off, running side by side into the deeper wilderness. It was a strange feeling to compete against Luna and Francesco together with Victoria, but there was little that could be done about that now. With any luck, they would all get an orb, stay out of each other's way, and then finish this ordeal together.

"Together with you, Rosa, there's no way I can't win!" Francesco declared with one of his radiant smiles, his confidence unwavering. "You hear that, Lucien? You better bring your A game in case we cross paths!" 

He laughed. "Not going to cut me any slack, are you? What about my stipend?"

The blond man thought for a few seconds. "Fine, you better bring your B game!" Raising one hand, he gently grabbed Rosa's wrist with the other. "Good luck, my friend! And Rosa, let's go this way, I've got a good feeling about it!"

"W-Wait, Lord di Mare, I-I can't run as fast as you!" 

They disappeared to the right at a crossing in the dirt path while Victoria and Lucien turned left, soon finding themselves alone with the overgrowth, rocks, and uneven terrain. With visibility reduced and the ground tougher to navigate, they slowed down but continued to put more distance between themselves and the starting position. Ducking and clearing away branches, bushes, and vines, they trekked in aimless silence that lasted several minutes. If they continued like this, they would get lost before they could even find an orb.

"So..." Lucien began without stopping. "Any ideas?"

"Yes." 

"...And?"

Victoria stopped. "I'll try to trace the dyra of at least one of the orbs. We get it, find a defensible spot, and stay put."

"And when were you going to tell me this?"

"What, do you have any better ideas?"

"No. I struggle with sensing magical energies, so I would have a hard time tracking one of the orbs down." Lucien admitted, shaking his head. "But we're supposed to be on the same side here; would it hurt you to actually ask for my opinion? And I don't see what's so different about my previous suggestion of hiding until noon and 'finding a defensible spot'."

Grimacing, she answered, "You wanted to avoid conflict by hiding, I mean that possibility is unlikely. Just do what I say." 

"Look, you're already starting to piss me off." Lucien said. The fragile peace between them, if that is what one could call the silent tension whenever they were near each other, shattered; all the frustration he had felt towards his redheaded classmate came bubbling up to the surface again. "You may be unable to interact with normal people who aren't busy licking your boots, but we're on the same team now and I'm not going to let you ruin this."

"I beg your pardon?!" Raising her voice, she clenched her fists, arms hanging at her sides. "Are you implying that I would be the one to ruin our chances of scoring highly?" 

"No, I'm not implying it, I'm telling you that's the case if you can't swallow your pride for five seconds and keep me in the loop." Lucien said coolly, his voice tense. "You no doubt want to maintain your number one position, and I need a good score to keep my stipend. You can at least see that we need each other for the next few hours, surely?"

Gritting her teeth, she said, "I most certainly don't need the assistance of a thief, but I am forced to carry you through this, yes." Inhaling and exhaling deeply, she closed her eyes, forcing herself to remain calm, though her tone remained sharp. "You have made your point. To reiterate, I believe I can sense the nearest orb if I focus. Some others in the class are capable of the same thing, I know that for a fact, so even if we reach the sphere first, we might have people following us soon afterwards. We could stay on the move, but that would tire us out, so I think finding a defensible position would be beneficial."

It was hard not to be impressed by how much she had thought this through. To his shame, Lucien hadn't had much of a plan outside of hoping to find either an orb or a team with one and steal it from them. "Roger. Do you know where the orb is already?"

"No. I'll have to focus for a little bit." Closing her eyes, she stretched out her arms in front of her. While it looked as though nothing was happening, Lucien could feel a change in the dyra around them, like Victoria's energy extended outwards akin to throwing a thin net into a lake, but on a larger scale and at a much greater speed. She remained quiet for several moments, her fingers stretched out and shaking ever so slightly. 

"There." She said after a while, looking to the north. "It's not too far away; we got lucky. I could feel two others to the east, while I couldn't spot the last two." Lowering her arms, she said, "Follow me."

This had been the most she had ever talked to him without raising her voice. Even if she wasn't exactly being friendly, it was a nice change of pace.

Moving past huge trees, some with fruits on them, as well as berry bushes near moss-covered rocks, birds flew off as they detected movement under them, wings flapping and leaves rustling as they took off. If they continued north for too long, they would exit the forest in the direction of Eldon Academy, which would go against the rules of the examination, but there was no way Victoria had missed that crucial detail. When they reached an elevation, she told him to go first, and it wasn't until he had gotten halfway up the steep terrain that he understood why she had suddenly let him take the lead. He was suddenly very thankful he was wearing shorts.

Once they had walked up to the highest point of the elevation, Victoria looked around. "It should be around here...ah, there we are." The golden orb which they had been looking for lay half buried in the ground near a fallen tree, emitting a faint glow and looking completely clean even though it ought to have been covered by the dark mud of the forest floor.

"Oh wow, that was fast." Lucien whispered to himself, impressed with his teammates precision.

Victoria bent down to pick the orb up, but it remained where it was as she made a grunting sound. "What the...it's incredibly heavy!"

Not that he doubted her physical prowess, but Lucien touched the sphere with his foot to confirm its weight for himself, attempting to give it a push, but it wouldn't even budge; it might as well have been a massive boulder. 

"Mrs Reed made it look so easy though...perhaps we could channel dyra into it?" He suggested, placing his palm on the cool, smooth surface, and it began to emit a golden glow as it felt connected to his palm. The second he stopped, it fell down to the ground as if it were weightless, yet it had regained its previous immovability. It wasn't the sphere which was heavy, it was just all but magically chained to the ground; the difference being that you couldn't drop this on someone or something and use it as a weapon.

Exhaling, Victoria muttered, "Good job." 

"You were the one who found it. I couldn't have done that." He replied, sitting down on the sphere. The first part of the first examination was finished, and far sooner than one might have dared to hope. However, now came the part where they would have to play on the defensive, and that would include a lot of waiting.

Leaning against the trunk of a tree, Victoria looked down the steep hill and said nothing. Surveying their surroundings, she evaluated the area, her gaze focused as she took in the strengths and weaknesses of their current location. "It would be hard for people to run up here provided we actually see them coming; I should watch the west and you the east; my long-range attacks should be able to scare them off."

"This place is good, then?"

"For now, in theory." She still wasn't looking at him, a hand stroking one of her dark red braids as she continued, "Like I said, it's hard to run up here if we see them coming, but if we don't, we have no advantages to speak of. There are also plenty of trees around here that they could use for cover, though conversely, there are a lot of branches and bushes here that should warn us of a stealthier approach." Now it sounded as she was thinking aloud rather than lecturing him, her crystal blue eyes narrowing. "It would've been good if we knew what time it was, that way we could plan ahead for any eventual necessary changes in our strategy."

Lucien took out his pocket watch and said, "It's eight forty-five." 

That caught Victoria's attention, and she turned to look at her teammate, spotting the silvery pocket watch. "Oh." It looked as though she wanted to say something more but then stopped herself and returned to her post. "Well, good." 

Standing up, the former thief walked over to the opposite side of the hill they were on, looking out for any potential competitors. With their backs turned to each other, both of the students leaned against a tree as another silence fell upon them, filled by sounds in the forest: bugs buzzing, birds flying, the wind sweeping through the wilderness, squirrels looking for nuts in the trees...it would have been peaceful had the company been better and they weren't under the constant threat of an attack.

Nine o'clock, nine fifteen...time moved at a crawling pace and the quiet became deafening, fueling Lucien's nervousness for an attack. He wanted to get a conversation going if only just to pass the time and calm his nerves, but when glancing over his shoulder, his partner was standing completely still with her back straight. Like a tree herself, she remained unmoving, and the only hints of movement came from the wind brushing against her hair and short, red skirt. Was she as bored as he was, or did she prefer the silence? It was entirely possible that nobles were more used to spending time sitting or standing still, having all the time in the world available to them, but to someone like Lucien, unless he was sick, resting or about to sleep, standing around like this was painful.

Several more minutes passed, and the black-haired man began pacing back and forth, part of his feet sinking into the moist ground and moss. At this point he would welcome an attack.

Then, he heard a strange sound that didn't come from the forest or any of its inhabitants. It was hard to identify at first, but when he looked behind him, Victoria placed a hand on her stomach, her posture slouching just a bit. 

It was the growl of her stomach.

"Hungry?" Lucien asked, seeing an opportunity to finally get a conversation going. 

"...No." She was a poor liar.

There were several trees either on top of the elevation and more along the steep slope, as well as many bushes of different kinds. Spotting a plum tree just a little bit further down, he climbed up just a few meters and grabbed three ripe, purple plums and brought them back to the highest point of the hill. 

"Here." He said, handing the redhead two of the plums while keeping the third one for himself. It felt just right between his fingers, firm but with just a little give, the skin smooth and dark.

"Oh..." Looking at the fruits as if not knowing what to do with them, Victoria asked, "Are these safe to eat?"

Lucien had already started eating, the sweet juices of the fruit and the change of pace doing much to restore his spirits. Finishing his chewing, he asked, "What do you mean?"

Inspecting her fruit by pinching it lightly, she said, "I mean, you found these fruits on a random tree in the forest. How do we know if the fruits are...clean?" 

"Looks and tastes just fine to me."

"But no one has tended to the tree; what if there are worms or other creatures in these?"

Lucien looked at his half finished plum, then showed the clear, orange insides to her. "Again, it looks and tastes just fine."

"And..." She continued, lowering her voice as if unsure she should say anything else, "How do I know these are edible? What if you get sick now?"

It was hard to suppress his laughter, but he managed somehow. Lucien hadn't anticipated Victoria to be this nervous when it came to eating a perfectly normal fruit. By the sound of things, she had never been served fruits or vegetables which hadn't been grown and tended to by a gardener or farmer. "Me and my mates ate them a lot before, along with other kinds of fruits and nuts. Summers and autumns were easier to manage because of the bounties of the forest for when you were low on money or supplies." It was a nostalgic thought, though one that came with the unfortunate reminder of what it was like to go hungry; the long winters had been the worst. "We should be just fine."

Without a verbal reply, she took a careful bite of one of her plums, then another, eating in a manner resembling a rodent. It was strange seeing the refined Ashbury scion dropping her guard like this, then showing an almost exaggerated relief when finding out that the plums tasted good. Smiling to himself, Lucien went back to his position and leaned against a tree like before, his boredom temporarily abated. Looking at his pocket watch, he saw that it was almost nine forty; there was a lot more waiting to be done.

"Thank you, Lucien." Victoria said once she had finished her humble meal and returned to her part of the hill, keeping an eye out for intruders, the two students' backs turned to each other.

He snorted. "That's the first you've called me by my name."

"It is?"

"Yeah."

"I see..."

Their conversation died down again, following an already repetitive and predictable formula as though they were reading a script. Weeks of barely concealed tension and deliberate avoidance weren't hurdles that were easy to overcome, especially not due to their different origins and social statuses. It wasn't something they would get over after a morning of working together, but at least the gap between them wasn't widening further. It was draining to try and stay out of Victoria's way, just like it must've been frustrating for her to keep ignoring him despite being in the same class. Lucien still blamed Victoria and her stubborn pride for their current, strained relationship, but at this point he would accept an apology and be willing to move on; he had no desire to hold a grudge, especially not one that could ruin his studies and endanger his stipend.

It made him think of Lord Holton's letter, the condemnation of the nobility as a stagnant beast living in the past. What gave them the right to judge him for how he had been born, and what entitled them to large estates and control over less fortunate people? Would someone like Victoria, if given a choice, preserve her status at the expense of others or have the strength to denounce her nobility in favor of more equality for all? Lord Holton had claimed that was the choice most nobles would make, and after coming to Eldon Academy, it was indeed the impression Lucien had gotten as well, his mind drifting to his previous duel with his current teammate and the stone that had been thrown through his window. Still, Francesco and Luna were both nobles as well, and they had treated him like any other friend would.

A thought Lucien hadn't considered before occurred to him. Would he himself change during his time here? Would he lose sight of his goal of improving the lives of the people living in poverty in his old neighborhood in western Altheus? It sounded preposterous, of course, especially considering how many students were determined not to let him forget his place, but it was a worrying thought. Perhaps, upon returning, he would be looked at with the same scorn the nobility showed him here, trapping him between two different worlds, his old and his new. This examination gave him time to think about his life which he hadn't had time for in a while, past, present and future colliding while he stared at unchanging bushes, moss, and stone.

"Someone's coming." She whispered, her voice barely audible over the other ambient sounds in the forest. "Get ready."

The suddenness of it all caught him off guard, just like how calm and collected she sounded, far more akin to a hunter about to fire their musket than a cornered prey. It made him happy she was on his side for once; the fearlessness was merely one part of what made her such a frightening opponent. 

Walking up behind her without making a sound, his mind automatically placing his feet on the moss or stone rather than on the leaves and branches which would've produced any sound, Lucien spotted a student wearing the male summer uniform whose face and hair were concealed by the dense foliage. The stranger's approach was slow, an attempt to be stealthy no doubt, but his clothes stuck out too much which made him easy to spot even without the sounds he was making. Still, there was only one of him, meaning that his partner must be somewhere nearby. Whoever they were they at least had enough wit to approach from two different directions to increase their chances.

Still, they couldn't have prepared for Victoria Ashbury.

Raising her arm in front of her chest, the redheaded student channeled potent energies into her palm, the very air around them heating up and growing denser as the flow of dyra was sucked into Victoria's spell. Charging her attack took a while, but the sheer power behind it was felt before it even launched. And then, just like that, the comet-like fireball was fired off in the direction of the encroaching student, flying through the air, narrowly avoiding colliding with two trees before it landed right in front of his feet, the impact of it sending him flying backwards with a pathetic yelp of surprise and terror. Dirt and grass shot up skywards and then came raining down for several seconds after the spell had made contact with the earth, which also scorched nearby greenery and set it ablaze. The Ashbury scion hadn't missed, she had merely wanted to send a message.

"E-Eeep!" They could both hear a cry from the direction where Victoria had directed her spell. "I-It's Lady Ashbury! B-Back off! Run! Run!" 

Exhaling, Victoria dispelled the remnant embers of her spell so as to not cause a forest fire, tightened the red hairbands at the very bottom of her twin braids which rested on her enormous chest like usual, and then she assumed her position again, leaning against the tree without even looking at Lucien. 

The overwhelming display of power made the former thief's forearms feel dull and warm, like how they had felt during his stay at the hospital. When her flames had engulfed him, he had feared for his life despite their instructor being present and the barrier which dampened magical injuries, and seeing this again made him queasy. However, she was equally brilliant as she was terrifying. 

"Th-That's incredible..." Lucien muttered in awe, his right hand on his left forearm. The short sleeves of the summer outfit kept most of his arms exposed, yet he couldn't shake the strange, phantom feeling that something was covering them now, another reminder of their duel together.

Victoria grunted, her flawless features forming half a frown. "Not really, I-" She turned around and her face contorted into a shocked grimace. "Y-You! Where is the orb?!"

Lucien looked at where they had kept the golden sphere, and just like she said, it was nowhere to be seen. Fear gripped the black-haired student as he placed his hands on top of his head, a sickening feeling forming in his stomach. "Oh no...!" 

"You imbecile!" His teammate yelled with a downwards sweeping motion of her arm, her temper flaring up. "Why didn't you keep an eye on what we're supposed to defend? Why do you think we're standing around here in the first place?!"

"I...!" Lucien began, but he really had no good excuse; he had known there was only one assailant coming from Victoria's direction, he had merely been so distracted by the display of power that it had been impossible to look away. Someone must've managed to sneak up from behind them and taken the orb during the spectacle. Taking out his pocket watch, he saw that it was now ten o'clock, meaning there were two hours remaining of the examination. "We've still got time; can you locate the orb? The thief can't have gotten far."

Tsking, Victoria didn't dignify his question with an answer, choosing instead to close her eyes and raise her arms just like last time, trying to detect the residual energies of the golden spheres. After less than a minute, she said in a bitter tone, "South, southwest, southeast. There was one I couldn't detect. One orb is being moved directly south of here." 

"Good!" Lucien said, clenching his fist. "Let's go; I'll fix this, you have my word!"

"Hmph."

The two began running down the hill.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who's back!
> 
> I've actually got the second part mostly ready but I will upload it next week, I reckon. Please let me know what you thought of part one!


	6. Forest Gold - Part II

Luna sat outside of a small cave and yawned, leaning against smooth stone with one leg raised and one arm placed on the knee, swaying the other foot back and forth. Her team's location was pretty defensible, provided there wasn't a student who was capable and willing of causing the cave to collapse, where Francis sat and guarded the orb. Really, she had gotten off easy this time, teaming up with two people as opposed to only one, and they had found what must've been the safest sphere almost instantly. 

Such a shame her company was so lacking.

Valdemar wasn't a bad kid, not really. He was handsome and skilled, but the stick up his ass didn't make him much fun to talk to. Francis, on the other hand was always so angry and haughty it was a miracle he hadn't croaked due to heart failure yet.

"Should you really let your guard down like that? What if we get attacked?" Valdemar asked, on his feet with a straight back and serious gaze. His long, dark blue hair looked cool, befitting the lower temperature of the deep forest. It did not feel like the sixth month, that was for sure.

Shrugging, the silver-haired girl wasn't worried. "I'm sure you guarding us is good enough."

Sucking in his lips, the tall man didn't push further. Luna had expected some kind of spiel about noble discipline or something of the sort, but after two or so hours, even Valdemar might've noticed that neither she nor Francis were listening. Maybe she was being a little too mean to the guy considering he merely wanted to score well. 

Standing up, she smiled at him. "But maybe you could use some moral support."

He returned the smile, a small, faint thing but at least a step forward considering his serious nature. 

Leaning her back against the wall, Luna took out a plum, which she had picked from a tree on the way to the cave, from her shirt pocket and began eating it. "Got any fun stories?" She asked.

"No."

Figures. "Got any boring ones?"

"I'm afraid I'm not very interesting, Lady Stillwater. I hail from a mountain province where precious little happens. My family has a bit of a conflict with the Skyträd family, so there is some tension there and thus a demand for us Cliffsworths to be capable soldiers as well as governors of our territory so as to not show any weakness. Fjördal is rather small though, so it's easy to step on each other's toes." His voice was rather monotone, as if all of this had been practiced. Capable though he may be, what this guy really needed was some social skills.

"Right. And what do you do when you're not doing boring stuff?" She asked, crossing her arms after throwing the large plum pit into the wilderness. 

Valdemar squirmed a little, as if that question was private. "W-Well, it may not seem like much to you, Lady Stillwater, but we do have several wonderful hot springs."

Luna's face lit up. "Ooh, that sounds lovely. See, that's interesting information. Good job, Valdemar."

"Thank you, Milady. ...Er, wait, what did I do?"

There was a rustle in the bushes in front of the cave, and Valdemar and Luna immediately dropped their conversation and prepared for battle, hands raised in the direction of where the sound had come. The visibility in the forest wasn't great, and the lack of sunshine didn't help, but it was difficult to move through the woods without making some kind of noise you could pick up on, although that also meant there was a risk of a wild animal triggering a false alarm. Whoever approached them must've known that they would be walking right into a possible confrontation, so they were either cunning, brave, or desperate. All dangerous traits in a fight.

Out of the foliage came Francesco, smiling as always and raising a hand in greeting. Following him was his far more timid partner, Rosa Williams, who also waved daintily towards Luna and Valdemar. They had no orb.

"Hey guys!" Francesco said as if they had met in the dining hall, putting his hands on his hips and breathed deeply. "Lovely place you've got here."

Luna dropped her guard, but Valdemar remained focused, his eyes never leaving the blond man. It was true that, were a brawl to break out, Rosa didn't seem like the type who'd pack much of a punch. Francesco, on the other hand, was physically very strong and an excellent swordfighter, making him surprisingly quick despite his rather powerful build. He didn't cast many spells, but he often used magic to enhance his swordplay or extend his reach, and while his management of dyra was below average, he had a well above average supply of it due to being in excellent shape. The confidence and easy smiles didn't come from nowhere. 

"Heya Francesco, and Rosa." The silver-haired girl nodded at them. "You gonna attack us?"

"That was the idea." The tanned man said, then turned to his teammate. "Right, Rosa? You're with me, yeah?"

She clenched her fists in determination. "Y-Yes, Lord di Mare, one hundred percent!" Her voice was timid and her round face kind. It would be difficult to fight against her if only because she looked too darn sweet to hurt. 

Valdemar took a step forward, shifting his weight to his left foot. "You are underestimating us, sir. I understand we must compete for the orbs, but it's three against two. For your own sakes, I would recommend you seek out a more evenly matched team. Defeating you like this would dishonor my house and you would be no better off. I give you this warning as you had the decency to approach us openly." 

Looking from Luna to Valdemar, Francesco looked confused. "Where's the third guy?"

"Hey Francis, we're being attacked. Come out here!" Luna turned around and yelled into the cave. It wasn't particularly big, so she didn't need to raise her voice by much, yet it took the brown-haired noble several seconds to actually exit the cave, which he did with a familiar grumpiness. He was rather big but lacked Francesco's muscles. 

"Oh great, some entertainment." Francis said with a smirk, rubbing his hands, looking back into the small cave to make sure the orb was still there, as though it could've been stolen in the last five seconds. "I'm not used to these scraps as I find them rather uncivilized, di Mare. Perhaps you could make the first move? You seem more acquainted than I with this sort of thing." 

Bowing, Francesco's confidence never wavered, the attempt at an insult not acknowledged in the slightest. "Naturally, that was my intention." Pointing at Valdemar, he said, "I challenge you to a duel, and if I win, it becomes a two versus two battle against your teammates. That way, your honor remains unstained and me and Rosa can more easily take your orb for ourselves. If I lose, we'll simply retreat back into the woods like two scared deer. How does that sound?" 

' _Oh dear._ ' Luna thought, burying her face in her hands. ' _I should be stopping this, but this is way too entertaining, and if my impression of Valdemar is correct..._ '

"I accept your challenge, Lord di Mare!" Valdemar exclaimed, sounding more excited than Luna had ever heard him. There was a glimmer in his eyes and a twitch in his fingers, breathing more life into the usually stoic facade.

"W-Wait, you absolute fool!" Francis shouted. "It's three of us and two of them; all we have to do is team up and drive them off!"

"I have been issued a challenge I cannot back down from. If you join the fray, know that you will not have my assistance." The long-haired man said coolly, then turned his back to his team to face the challenger.

Francis swore, but sat down as if to show he wouldn't bother them.

' _A~nd there we go. Our numbers advantage thrown away just like that._ ' It was difficult not to laugh; Francesco had managed to completely neutralize their greatest strength with a mere few words, and Valdemar had fallen for it without so much as a second thought or consultation with his team. If nothing else, their jovial assailant would hopefully be too tired to fight well after his first tango.

There were some ten meters between Francesco and Valdemar, the latter of who walked slowly towards his opponent. The enemy team still kept to the trees and bushes, not walking out to the clearing in front of the cave, reminiscent of beasts on the prowl about to pounce on their prey. There was a lot of space to move for the two would-be combatants, and even more if one took into consideration that they could run back into the dense wilderness and utilize the entire forest as their playground. Luna hoped that would not happen though, as she wanted to see how this battle would transpire, not just because it was important for her own examination, but because this was rather exciting; the air became tenser with every step her teammate took.

Rosa kept her hands clenched, clearly not used to this kind of situation, but she was standing behind Francesco who didn't show the slightest trace of worry, not even bothering to take his hands out of the pockets of his black shorts. Perhaps it was a tactic, to make his opponent question themselves, or maybe it was just how he was as a person, even before a duel. While they were all wearing white button up shirts with short sleeves and a red tie, fly, or in Rosa's case ribbon, there were no stains, wrinkles, or any other kind of blemishes on Rosa's and Francesco's clothes despite having walked around the woods and navigated the rough terrain. Had they merely been taking a stroll together all this time?

"Lady Stillwater, could you serve as the referee and count to three, please?" Valdemar asked once he stood three meters in front of his opponent, looking over his shoulder. There was excitement in his voice, but he looked composed on the outside. 

"You got it." Luna answered, giving him a thumbs up, her other hand on her hip. "Get ready, gents. One...two...three!"

Out of thin air, Valdemar created a long spear of crystal clear ice, blue yet with a faint hue of purple which gave it a distinctly magical appearance that could not be confused with regular ice. The tip of it was sharp, yet the rest of it had a smooth, rounded shape that grew thicker closer to the base. The hilt was also made out of the same material, but it did not seem to be cold, allowing its wielder to use it without needing gloves. Once it had fully materialized, the blue-haired man lunged forward with a quick thrust.

Francesco, on the other hand, kicked up a sturdy stick from the ground, grabbed hold of it, and immediately began charging dyra into it, giving the plain object a soft green glow. With a step to the side, the blond man struck the ice spear with his stick, sending Valdemar off balance, and then immediately went on the offensive. The blue-haired man had just enough time to block an attack aimed at his head with the central part of his weapon, the mixing magical energies releasing a small shockwave which brushed against Luna's wild, almost shoulder length hair.

Normally, in an open area, a spear would have a great advantage over a sword, or whatever you would call Francesco's magic stick, but Valdemar had little chance to utilize the range of his weapon. Somehow, the southern lord always managed to either close the distance or he managed to take cover behind a tree, having lured his opponent further away from the clearing in front of the cave. Whenever their weapons met, the dyra surged, creating deceptively soft, humming noises of clashing magical energies. The green winds fell down upon the blue ice at regular intervals, but more often than not, Francesco merely dodged thrust after thrust.

Exhaling, Valdemar jumped backwards, his weapon still extended towards his opponent. "You're good." He stated plainly, more an observation than actual praise, and he did not wait for a smug reply. Quickly placing his hands on the ground, he froze the grassy field they were standing on, a thin sheet of slippery ice covering a large area in the middle of the summer. Frost covered flower stalks and tree roots in the vicinity, looking like fields and plains on an early morning during the final days of autumn. Where the two duelists were standing, however, the sheet of ice fully covered the greenery below it. 

Dashing forward faster than he had moved before, Valdemar looked as though he was ice skating, gliding across the field of his own creation like a fish in water. It was his turn to be on the offensive, trying to find an opening in Francesco's guard as he circled around his opponent. He poked high and low, from the front, back, and the sides, yet his attacks were parried or dodged despite the blond man keeping his feet in place, not daring to risk losing his footing by moving too much. The sudden change in terrain had caught the southern lord off guard, but he had managed to keep his guard up in spite of that.

Luna looked to her right and saw that Francis was standing up, clearly upset, his round face bright pink. "Preposterous. What are we waiting around for?" He was getting impatient, pacing back and forth as he watched the battle rage on, their teammate unable to land a single hit. 

"Let the boys have their fun. I mean, it's easier for us that way." Luna said, wishing she had something to eat while watching the duel. Nothing made a performance better than some sweets, like small lemon cakes or chocolate covered apple slices. The more immature part of her brain also thought it was hilarious how very phallic this duel was, but she kept that to herself. For now. 

"He's losing!" Francis spat. "Anyone can see that!"

It was true; all the moving around was tiring Valdemar out, yet it had yielded precious little in terms of actual results. The frost was beginning to recede from the greenery, either melting quickly due to the mild temperature or because the caster of the spell was growing tired. The ice on the ground was melting, the movement of the two combatants' feet now accompanied by wet splashes.

Circling around Francesco from behind, Valdemar charged forward with his spear, putting his entire body weight behind this attack. Even if the spear was blocked, the blue-haired student would ram into his opponent, tackling him to the ground. If Francesco dodged, he would run the risk of losing his footing on the magical ice, and from there Valdemar would have a chance at turning the battle around.

But Francesco didn't dodge. With a grin, he readied his stick and filled it with even more dyra, the swirling green light around it expanding, glowing ominously. It was now difficult to see the actual wood itself, the glow covering it brightening as the winds around its holder raged, gripping hold of clothes, hair, and even the branches of the nearby trees which looked as though they were about to be pulled into a whirlwind.

"Valdemar, watch out!" Luna cried, realizing that this is what the southern lord had waited for.

However, she was too late. Valdemar's course was set, his movement on the ice too fast to be able to break effectively, and thus he had no choice but to commit to this final attack. Bracing himself, he let out a roar.

Francesco swung his stick in an upwards direction, striking the center of the ice spear, shattering it into thousands of tiny pieces which scattered into the air and fell down like hail in a storm. The impact released all of the magical energy stored in the regular wooden stick which had shattered the magical spear, sending out a shockwave which howled through the vicinity, almost knocking Rosa, who was the closest to the battle, back into the woods. The blast made Luna cover her eyes with one hand and hold onto her skirt with the other. It felt like a spirit which had been freed, sweeping through the branches and the grass, expanding outwards and maintaining its presence for several seconds before it faded into nothingness, being replaced only by a deafening silence.

Striking his palm lightly with the now completely ordinary wooden stick, Francesco let out a sigh as he walked towards Valdemar, who was lying on his back in the grass several meters away from where the blast had occurred. The icy field had been reduced to a puddle, only a few thin strips of easily broken and soon to be melted ice remained of the previously impressive spell. 

Stretching out a hand towards the defeated combatant, the blond man smiled. "That's a damn cool spell you've got there."

Valdemar didn't take his hand. "Yet I was no match for you." Physically, he sounded fine; the pain in his voice came from wounded pride and exhaustion.

"I'm the captain of the fencing team; I'm used to these kinds of strategies and know all the feints and tricks like the back of my hand, but that's only because I keep practicing against them so often." He still kept his hand arm extended towards Valdemar. "Basically, I got lucky your strategy reminded me of my usual sparring partners. Now you know my moves and how to prepare for them, so whenever you want your rematch, you'll see just how much the gap will have shrunk." 

Thinking about those words for several seconds as his chest began rising and falling at a steadier pace, Valdemar took Francesco's hand and was pulled back onto his feet. Bending forward, he placed his hands on his knees and breathed deeply. 

It was in that moment Francis launched a spell without warning, targeting Francesco whose back was turned against him and Luna. Also wielding air magic, an iridescent scythe tore through the air, cutting off several taller pieces of grass in its wake as it traveled from the entrance of the cave, through the clearing and towards the door that led back to the deep forest. 

"Lord di Mare, watch out!" Rosa cried, attempting to run towards the spell and her teammate, moving on instinct rather than sense, but she was too far away.

Valdemar, however, was not. Knocking Francesco to the side, he took the spell meant for his supposed enemy, the scythe hitting him straight in the chest, tearing a large swath in his shirt and drawing blood in a curved line from his shoulder almost all the way down to his belly button. "Guh!" He groaned in pain, placing a hand on his chest to stem the bleeding, falling to his knees with a cough. 

Luna immediately grabbed Francis' wrist, twisted it behind his back and pushed him down onto the ground, sitting on his back. 

"What are you doing, you buffoon?!" The brown-haired noble protested, his mouth filled with grass. "This is our chance! Let's get them while they're distraa-AAAAH! S-Stop! Stop!" 

Rosa and Francesco were making sure Valdemar was alright, sitting on their knees in front of the injured student. Blood was pouring down his upper body, but thankfully it looked as though the wound wasn't particularly deep. They used the remaining scrap of his white shirt to stop the bleeding, and it looked as though Rosa really knew what she was doing, cleaning the cloth with a water spell and then gently but firmly pushing it against the blue-haired man's injury. Apparently there was some steel and resolve underneath that dainty exterior.

Once they were finished, Valdemar lay down on his back with Rosa sitting by his side. They were talking and both seemed calm despite what had just happened, so at least everything was working out on that end.

Now it was the matter of dealing with Francis.

Francesco walked slowly towards Luna, who was still keeping the brown-haired noble firmly pinned to the ground. The pathetic cries of agony soon grew silent as the two men's eyes met. Never before had Luna seen her friend with this kind of expression, a silent fury barely concealed on his handsome face, his brown eyes narrowed, and focused, his eyebrows pulled down, and his jaw was firmly clenched. While the silver-haired girl had been disgusted at the display of cowardice herself, her heart hadn't begun beating faster nor had her muscles tensed up until she saw Francesco's anger.

"Explain." He said once his feet were a mere few centimetres in front of Francis' frightened face.

Despite the situation, the man on the grounded remained defiant, trying to match the other man's anger with a fierceness of his own. "Wh-What is there to explain?! This is a competition and I was merely trying to get ahead! It's not like what I did was against the rules."

"Excuses." Francesco said coolly, his hand clenching into a fist. "You tried stabbing me in the back and now your own teammate is injured."

"That was his own damn fault!" Francis spat, squirming under Luna's light weight and iron grip, like an animal trying to free itself from a trap. What would the noble even do if he managed to break free? It was unlikely he would dare to take on Francesco in a direct fight. "I will not be lectured by lowborn nobles on battlefield etiquette!"

Sighing, Luna said, "I don't think being a noble has anything to do with it, buddy. Has it ever occurred to you that you might just be a smidge too arrogant? Why don't you be a good boy, apologize, and-"

"Shut up, you bastard bitch! Your very presence stains the good name of Eldon Academy!" 

The anger and frustration in his tone were so intense that it was hard to tell if it as truly Luna he was lashing out against or the fact that he was being lectured. While Francis was an irritable person clearly capable of willingly hitting someone where it hurt, his choice of words still surprised Luna enough that she fell silent. His last comment hung heavy in the air, the following moments frozen in time as all three students remained unmoving and quiet. The sweet taste from the plum she had eaten which lingered in her mouth turned sour.

"You're in no position to tell anyone to be quiet, Clint." Francesco said once it was clear Luna wouldn't do or say anything about what Francis had just said. "This examination is over for you. Get out of the forest, tell Mrs Reed you give up, and go back to you room on campus, but not before apologizing to Valdemar."

"You can't expect me to-"

"Now." 

Francis didn't say anything for a while, but when his body finally relaxed, Luna let go of his wrist and stood up, feeling a distinct need to wash her hands. With a bitter gaze, the brown-haired noble brushed himself off, straightened out his clothes and slicking his hair back, at least having the decency to remain quiet. Walking in the direction from which Francesco and Rosa had arrived, he muttered a half-baked apology to Valdemar before entering the forest, not even acknowledging Rosa on his way out. Soon, he had disappeared completely from their sight.

Francesco put a large hand on Luna's thin shoulder. "Hey, you okay?"

"..." She looked away, a twitch on her lips.

Sighing, the blond man stood in front of her and leaned in closer, making sure that she couldn't look away from him. The kindness had returned to his face, and as always, a toothy, charming smile helped make the blond man look as though there was nothing in the world he couldn't overcome. "Probably easier said than done, but ignore that guy, okay? You called him arrogant, but I've got a better way of putting it: he's a cunt."

Snickering, Luna placed one of her hands on his. "Thanks." Changing the topic quickly, she asked, "What do we do now? I mean we're supposed to be on opposite teams, but I'd really rather not fight you and Rosa on my own. I reckon I should help Valdemar get out of the forest." Her teammate was still lying on his back, pushing down on one of the cloth scraps used as a makeshift bandage while talking to Rosa, occasionally wincing in pain but otherwise looking fine given the circumstances. 

"Ah dammit all...I'd feel real bad about taking your orb after all this." Francesco said, sounding genuinely empathetic despite being on another team. "How much time can we have left? One hundred minutes? One and a half hours? Maybe we could all escort Valdemar out, then return here and hope the orb is still here...?" Rubbing his chin, which had grown some fuzz in the recent days, he thought through their options. The forest didn't offer much in terms of modern medical equipment; herbs could be used for potions, of course, but their time was limited and they couldn't wait for Valdemar to recuperate for that long.

Walking down to where Rosa and Valdemar were, Luna sat down on the grassy field on her knees next to him, mimicking the other woman who was sitting on the opposite side. The blue-haired student looked at her apologetically, his slender body bare save for multiple patches of white cloth scraps soaking up blood. A few splotches of blood had seeped out under the makeshift bandages, but they had dried already, showing that the bleeding had thankfully slowed. 

"I'm sorry, Lady Stillwater." He muttered, his voice quiet but steady; it wasn't low because he was injured, that much was clear. 

"What, for protecting my friend?" She asked, placing a hand on his cheek as gently as she could. She was relieved when she felt that the skin felt neither too hot nor too cold. "I should be thanking you. That was real heroic of you."

"I agree!" Rosa chipped in with a smile that would've warmed the heart of even the most hardened criminal, her soft, round face innocent and friendly. "It was like something taken out of a story."

Francesco chuckled, remaining standing. "She's right you know. Thanks, man, I owe you one."

"It was nothing." Valdemar's voice was quieter now, and his cheeks were much darker than before. 

'Good to know he's got enough blood left to blush.' Luna thought, then scolding herself for cracking distasteful jokes like that, even if she wasn't saying them aloud. Standing up and dusting off her red plaid skirt, she said, "We still need to figure out what to do. Let's assume we have eighty minutes left; we should have enough time to escort Valdemar and get back here, but the orb might get stolen in the meantime."

Grimacing, Valdemar sat up, still holding a hand against his chest. "The cut wasn't that deep, everyone, and I fear you worry for naught. It is true that I shouldn't participate in the examination anymore, but it should be no problem for me to return to Mrs Reed." He stood up to prove his point, his legs shaking slightly but less than one might have assumed given his bloodstained body. "It would benefit no one if you were burdened because of me." 

"Woah there man, cool it with the heroic sacrifice speeches." Francesco said. "You're hurt; of course we can't let you go back alone." 

"He won't be going back alone." Rosa stood up as well, hands in front of her body in a way that framed her chest. "I'll escort him while you two guard the orb. If there is enough time, I'll try to return to you of course, but the most important part is Valdemar's health, and we don't all need to help out on that front. I'm sure that if I explain the situation to Mrs Reed, she'll accept making you two a new team." There was determination in her voice, once again showing that there was steel hidden under that fluffy, sweet exterior, like a mother telling her children what to do.

Francesco looked at his teammate, conflicted. "Hang on, what about your own test results? And what if something happens on the way back?"

"I appreciate your concern, Lord di Mare." Rosa bowed slowly, almost showing as much respect as one might have shown the emperor. "However, I believe this to be more important." The brown-hared woman may not have been a noblewoman, but her manners and speech reminded Luna of the most well-mannered ladies at court or at various events when nobles gathered. If memory served, she was the daughter of some big name merchant, though it was hardly the time to ask such questions.

"I could take him back." Luna offered, raising her hand. "He's my teammate." It was clear that the suggestion bothered Valdemar, but he didn't protest, more than likely afraid that arguing would only make them waste more time. Their minds had been set, and he would have to accept their decision, being in no position to refuse. 

Rosa smiled. "Thank you, Lady Stillwater, but just in case something goes wrong, I believe I am the best suited to patch Lord Cliffsworth up. Unless you happen to be skilled in healing magic and know a lot about medicine."

"I don't."

"And that is why I shall be the one to go."

Francesco sighed in resignation, offering one final weak protest, "I don't like this, but I guess we don't have much of a choice unless we all go." He put his hands on his hips and looked up at the sky with closed eyes for a brief second before his focus returned to his classmates. "But fine, you've given this a lot of thought, Rosa. Please be careful, you hear? And if you think you'll have time enough to make it back here, you're more than welcome." 

Smiling politely, the soft-spoken woman said, "Thank you, my lord. I hope you don't mind me saying so, but I would have gone even had you not approved." She laughed to herself, placing a hand on Valdemar's shoulder as she began guiding him through the woods. "Best of luck to you both."

"Deepest apologies..." The blue-haired student muttered, head hung low. "I'll try to return the favor."

"Hey that's my line!" Francesco said with a laugh as the two walked away from him and Luna, disappearing into the dark of the forest, the uneven terrain slowing them down. "I'll buy you a beer some time, yeah?"

"Good luck you two." Luna called out to them, following them with her eyes until they were completely out of sight, on their way out of the forest and by extension the examination. It was unlikely that Rosa would have enough time to make it back here and there was little doubt she knew that; this was a sacrifice done for her teammate's sake, provided Mrs Reed would accept a change of members in the middle of the examination. 

Shuffling awkwardly, Francesco kicked a small stone which landed in a soft patch of dirt and leaves deeper into the forest. "Sorry about messing up like this." 

It was rare to hear him sound so beat up. "Francis messed up, not you, and Valdemar apologized so much that I don't want to hear that word for another week." Luna said, trying to sound soothing and in control, though her heart was still working overtime, reacting to the uncomfortable feeling in the pit of her stomach. Francis' words had been nothing new, but it concerned her that it was he of all people who had uttered them, and hearing them out of the blue had caught her off guard. 

"Hah! Fair enough. There's not much we can do about the past anyway." Francesco snapped back to his usual self, at least outwardly, his loud voice returning as if to fill the hole that the other two left. "I just hope they'll be okay, but Rosa knows what she's doing."

"She does seem very capable in addition to polite. And cute." The silver-haired girl smirked, the tips of her fingers meeting as she raised her hands in front of her chest. "You interested?"

"Of course, who wouldn't be?" The man replied with a grin that might as well have reflected the rays of the sun. "She's got it all, so how do I put that into a poem? I guess we've got some time to think about all of that while guarding the orb; wanna help out?"

Blinking twice, Luna hadn't expected such frankness. Perhaps it was the famous southern temperament and love for romance and passion which caused her friend to reply so openly. Exhaling, she shook her head. "You're no fun. How am I supposed to tease you about that? If I were to say something like that to Lucien he'd turn pink and start stuttering." She began walking back towards the cave with a small smile on her lips, thoughts drifting to her black-haired friend, wondering how he was faring putting up with Vicky alone for four hours in the middle of nowhere. Regardless, it would provide great teasing material.

Slapping the short woman's back with his large palm, the blond man laughed. "I'm not the blushing or stuttering type, in case you hadn't noticed." They reached the mouth of the cave, sitting down outside of it, neither bothering to keep a look out for possible competitors. The orb was still there, to Francesco's immediate right, and he kept his hand on it as he leaned the back of his head against a mossy rock. "I guess you don't want to talk about what Francis said, huh?"

"I'd rather not. But thanks." 

"Cool."

...

"Wanna help me compose my poem, then?"

"I don't even know Rosa." Luna said, though with clear interest in the topic, happy to talk about something entertaining while they waited for noon. "How big are her tits?"

That caught Francesco off guard. "Wh-What?! I don't know, and I can't write a poem about, you know, that!"

' _Finally, a reaction I can work with._ ' Luna thought with a devious smile. ' _This is going to be more fun than I had hoped._ ' 

* * * * *

In the southern part of the forest, the air was more humid than it had been further north, even though Lucien and Victoria had only traveled half an hour southward by foot, yet the difference was noticeable. Perhaps it was due to the sea reaching further inland through a creek somewhere, or maybe it was because there were more lakes and rivers in this area, though the humidity wasn't their primary concern. The terrain was as difficult to navigate as in the rest of the woods, proving to be yet another hurdle for the two to overcome as they searched for their stolen orb. They had been unable to stop the thief as he was fleeing from them, but thanks to Victoria's sensory magic, they had been able to locate his base and approached it stealthily.

At the edge of a forest lake stood Nathaniel Starsea, a confident-looking black-haired man, and Gabriel Müller, a shorter, more nervous-looking blond man. Lucien and Victoria were overlooking them from the top of a hill, behind thick bushes and large trees, doing their best to mask their presence as they analyzed their enemies' position. The orb was surprisingly easy to spot, half buried in the sand a meter or two in front of their opponents, closely guarded. It didn't help that the beach had little in terms of places to hide; at the edge of the hill the forest practically stopped and made way for the grainy, dark sand which encircled the lake. It was clear the two were confident they could defeat anyone who approached, or at least Nathaniel did.

"It must've been Gabriel you almost hit." Lucien whispered, careful not to make himself heard, and he hoped his teammate would cooperate with his stealthy approach.

It was, however, plainly obvious that Victoria had little love for staying hidden like this, her mood having soured upon their arrival here. "May I ask why this surreptitious approach is necessary?" At least she whispered for now, but there was a clear hint of annoyance in her tone.

Lucien interpreted this as her patience having reached its limit and that she wanted to merely overwhelm their competition with her flames. While that may have been possible, the former thief also felt that it was his responsibility to get it back. Furthermore, having something stolen from him rubbed his pride the wrong way, like a reflex kicking in. "We wait for our opportunity. Remember what Mrs Reed said: the spheres are our objective, not maiming each other."

"And what, pray tell, is 'our opportunity'? Need I remind you that we are running out of time?" 

"We've got just under ninety minutes left." Lucien said, checking his pocket watch and gingerly putting it back in his pocket, making sure it wouldn't fall out. "Now that we know where it is, we have plenty of time to get it back. If there is no opening within the next forty-five minutes, we can try to take it by force. But before that, let me try getting it back myself." Standing up quietly, he walked several dozen meters away from his teammate who whispered something through clenched teeth, channeling power into his fingertips and firing off lightning into the sky, a loud, crackling sound followed by the roar of thunder reverberating throughout the forest and the nearby lake, alerting the two students by the beach. 

Running back, the former thief resumed his crouching position next to his teammate. "There. It's likely students without any orbs heard that noise; they might be getting desperate to seize one for themselves. When, or if, another team shows up, it'll give me an opening to sneak in and take back the orb while they're not paying attention."

Victoria merely stared at him. "Aren't you being a little hypocritical now?"

"Huh?"

"You insulted me for not sharing my plans at the start of the examination, something which I then rectified. Yet here you are, going ahead with your own idea without consulting me first." Sitting in a crouched position, she maintained her balanced by holding on to the trunk of a tree. 

Oh. She was right. "I..." Wait, why had he done that? 

As if able to read his mind, she gave him the answer. "All because this is a matter of your pride! The thief who was stolen from!"

"N-No, I just wanted to clean up my own m-"

"Come now, you wished for no such thing; you merely desired to repair your ego. Otherwise you would have asked me for my assistance, would you not?" A large piece of the bark was loosened from the tree Victoria was holding on to, which she threw to the ground before placing her hand on the trunk again. Just how hard was her grip?

There was nothing Lucien could say to defend himself; everything his teammate had said was correct. Just like he had been frustrated with Victoria's pride, so was she now insulted by his. The revelation made him sit down, temporarly losing track of what was happening near the lake. He felt foolish; if he was blind to his own flaws, how could he expect anything different from her? 

Victoria continued her vigilance, dropping the topic. She wiped her forehead with the back of her free hand, trying to keep her cool despite the humidity.

Who could say how long they remained silent, the quiet somehow even more awkward than it had been earlier that day. Lucien had no desire to look at his pocket watch to keep track of such a thing, but the minutes felt excruciatingly long, and watching their two opponents didn't offer much mental respite. Gabriel and Nathaniel had been shocked at the sudden noise before, but the more time passed, the more they seemed to relax, presumably assuming that there had been a battle nearby that didn't concern them. If this plan did not work, all of this would have been for nothing, and they could've gone for the direct approach from the onset.

Finally, Lucien spotted two people to the east, running towards Nathaniel and Gabriel. As they got closer, he could tell that it was Hildegard Stein, a woman a bit taller than him and with an impressive physique, as well as Oda Ericson, a shorter woman with blond hair. Hildegard was leading the charge, not caring if the two men in front of her saw them or not. 

"There." The former thief whispered, letting his teammate know something was happening. 

Shifting her weight, Victoria turned to look in the same direction. "It would seem Hildegard has the right idea." 

By now, Nathaniel and Gabriel had spotted the incoming opponents, channeling fire and water to try and slow the attackers' advance but to no avail. Hildegard channeled a small shield around her hand which she used to block their spells, simultaneously protecting Oda running behind her. Sand flew up into the air and rained down upon the shore where the spells landed, as if explosives buried just underneath the ground had gone off, and the formerly peaceful surface of the lake was disturbed as spells and dirt were flung into it. Soon, the battle turned into a melee, and the area sizzled with dyra, the fighting students making the energy around them pulsate with life. 

Lucien stood up, still, hidden behind the tree. Unable to channel his invisibility for long, he wanted to wait until a moment when he knew no one would see him picking the orb up. It would take a lot of energy running over there, grabbing the orb and channeling magical energy into it, as without doing so the sphere would be completely immovable. Furthermore, he needed to turn it invisible as well, given that a head-sized golden ball floating in the middle of the air would be bound to draw attention even during a battle.

Taunts, laughter, and cries filled the air on the beach, thankfully sounding too jovial to be anything but a practice bout between classmates. However, four people fighting simultaneously was still chaotic, magic and martial arts wreaking havoc upon the surrounding area, done with a certain glee, as though they had all been waiting for this, that this was what they had been studying and training for in the end. Only Gabriel seemed distressed, and who could blame him, having almost been engulfed by Victoria's flames a mere hour earlier.

When the battle moved further west, away from the orb still buried halfway into the sand, Lucien faded from sight and dashed down the hill, telling Victoria that he would be back shortly. Careful not to slip, he soon found himself on the grainy shore, keeping a close eye on how the battle developed. Oda was keeping Gabriel at bay with ease, while Nathaniel struggled to deal with Hildegard's speed and strength, the latter employing a fighting style that reminded Lucien of Francesco. 

Neither seeing nor sensing any form of traps waiting for him, Lucien ran towards the orb, touching it and filling it with magical energy, all while trying to maintain his invisibility. His head began pounding immediately, having underestimated just how much focus this would require, and his management of dyra was not yet good enough that he could pull off something this advanced for long. Regardless, steps almost as quick as those which had carried him to his goal now bore him back to the safety of the woods. Behind him he could hear Gabriel being pacified by Oda, who immediately joined in trying to corner Nathaniel who still refused to give up.

Lucien felt a rush he hadn't felt in a while, stealing something from right under someone's nose, the fear and excitement of not knowing if you would be caught or get away making the adrenaline flow like nothing else. It was hard not to laugh, pulling off a scheme like this, making use of his abilities and fooling his competition. Perhaps it was the same thrill his classmates felt when fighting, but Lucien suspected this was an even sweeter sense of satisfaction, to have outmaneuvered others. Only the sting of his previous hypocrisy and the knowledge that he was only taking back what had been his and Veronica's in the first place kept him from turning around and loudly proclaiming that his opponents had been had. 

The pounding in Lucien's head grew worse as he began climbing back up the hill. It almost looked like a mountain at this point, his ascent slow and arduous. The battle was quieting down behind him, and soon Hildegard and Oda would notice that the orb had been taken. 

Slipping on a root, he managed to continue maintaining his spell through sheer force of will. His body felt heavy, and he needed several seconds to get up before continuing moving up the hill. When he was finally in safely covered by the dense greenery of he forest, he collapsed and turned visible immediately, the orb falling down to the ground with a soft thud, almost weightless yet utterly immovable. He scratched his palms and knees, dirtying his white shirt, yet he barely registered it as his head felt like it was about to split open.

"Aaaah!" Lucien grunted in pain, placing both of his hands on his temples, his breathing ragged. Twisting and turning on the ground, the pain overwhelming him. It felt as though life was seeping out of him, and his vision was turning dark. 

"Hey, hey!" Victoria said, sitting next to him, a flash of worry in her expression before it turned serious again. "You idiot, you're not used to spending this much dyra! Listen to me, breathe slowly!"

He didn't, or couldn't, listen. Hyperventilating, his body twitched and shook in the dirt of the dark woods.

"Breathe slowly! Focus on me, and slow your breathing!" She pinned him down to the ground by his shoulders, forcing him to lie still and listen to what she was saying. It made it easier to concentrate on what she was saying, and with great effort, the black-haired student managed to slow down his breathing, the symptoms of his shock immediately growing less severe. 

Clutching his forehead, Lucien focused entirely on his breathing as Victoria let go of his shoulders, sitting on a large root beneath a large tree right next to him. The pain was beginning to recede, but it still hurt, and his lungs felt as though they were on fire. "What...ugh..."

Sighing, Victoria said, "You spend far too much energy maintaining your invisibility; it drains your supply of dyra too fast. Your physical condition looks like it's slightly above average, which helps, but you can't substitute dyra management technique with increasing your supply of dyra by working out a lot." Leaning forward, she placed two fingers on the side his throat, her gaze focused. Her fingers were warm and incredibly smooth, but the way they pushed down on his vein felt needlessly forceful. "Good, you should be fine. It would've been problematic had you passed out. Lie still for a few more minutes and you'll feel good as new. Almost."

"I'm sorry." Lucien whispered, his throat dry.

It took a second before Victoria answered, rolling one of her blood red braids around her index finger. "Gods above, is this what I'm like...?" She muttered quietly, the beach having fallen silent as well. It was almost peaceful now. "Where did you even learn such an advanced spell without grasping even the simplest of dyra management techniques? Who taught you?"

"No one...taught it to me." The former thief said weakly, the headache receding slowly but surely. "I thought it was...just what I needed...on the streets. I thought it would...be a good idea to learn. I practiced it for hours every day for...who knows how long."

"You never had a teacher." It wasn't a question, nor much of a statement, but rather an epiphany, like a piece of a puzzle falling into place. Looking away, back in the direction of the beach, Victoria didn't continue with her questions. 

"Are they coming?" Lucien asked trying to sit up, but his chest still hurt, and he lay down again. Like promised, however, he was recovering at a rapid pace. Never before had he experienced dyra withdrawal like this, and had his teammate not snapped him out of it, he would no doubt have passed out. It had felt like drowning on dry land, but at least it wasn't quite as dangerous. 

Shaking her head, the Ashbury scion's blood red braids swayed with it before once again falling back to their place on top of her enormous chest. "They're resting. I would also assume that sensing dyra is not their strong suit, as they were drawn to the sound of your first spell. Had they been able to locate the spheres more easily, they might have already been fighting by the time we got here, though that is mere speculation." She turned to him, hands on her lap as she commanded, "Rest. Should they approach I will make short work of them."

' _Oddly comforting coming from her._ ' Lucien thought with a quiet snicker and doing what he was told, lowering his head back down on the cool, soft, and dirty ground. He would need a bath once this was over. "I don't doubt it...with powers like yours. How did you get so strong?" It was becoming easier to speak normally.

"With a lot of practice and the best teachers money can buy." She replied simply, throwing another look at the beach, but she didn't move from the large root she was sitting on. Everything seemed to be under control. 

"I see."

The humid air lay like a thin blanket over Lucien, the sound of a stream to the west carrying water to the large lake to the south sounding as comforting as a lullaby. It was difficult for him to keep his eyes open while he was lying down, feeling even more tired when there was nothing to distract him. He tried thinking of the tests he had taken this week and going through the answers, but he quickly gave up, realizing he couldn't focus long enough to complete his self-evaluation. 

"I'm sorry about before." He finally said. "I should've asked for your opinion."

"You should have." Victoria answered. 

"..."

There was a pause.

"But perhaps I ought to have shown myself a little more willing to cooperate as well." She tugged hard at the hairband at the end of one of her braids, looking in the direction of the beach again. "Regardless, the orb is back, and that is what matters." Her tone was not exactly friendly, but it didn't carry the same annoyance or accusatory tone from before. One could almost consider that Victoria's way of being conversational.

Grunting, Lucien sat up, clutching his head and careful not to move around more than necessary. "It won't happen again. I can't afford to let it happen again. You know, literally."

Surprisingly enough, Victoria let out half of a snicker before stopping herself, clearing her throat. Not once had he heard his classmate let out a laughter that was anywhere near genuine, and for a second he wondered if he had imagined the sound just now. It wouldn't do for an Ashbury to be a fan of bad jokes, after all, which was probably why she looked away with an awkward expression, rather than her usual serious gaze. 

' _Or maybe she just likes laughing at poor people._ ' Lucien mused, careful not to draw attention to her stifled laugh. While he would've been comfortable continuing to joke around with Luna and Francesco, it was doubtful that Victoria would've appreciated that kind of banter. If anything he was surprised to discover this faint trace of her having a sense of humor. 

Running a hand through his hair, he stood up with a grunt, hunching just a bit, needing to keep himself steady by holding on to the trunk of a tree. His knees were shaking, though not by much. Instead, it was his spinning head which made it difficult to stand upright, and his vision darkened for a few moments after standing up, but that soon cleared up. Focusing on his breathing like he had been instructed, the former thief could feel his energy being restored, getting back to normal at a quick pace, although his limbs were sluggish and his head still felt swollen, which he assumed would be the case at least until tomorrow. The idea of casting another spell today also made him queasy, but the second part of the examination remained regardless of his current condition.

Victoria had been watching Lucien's attempts at standing up in silence, her face maintaining a skeptical frown, yet she didn't interrupt him. Now that he was standing up, albeit with the help of a tree trunk, she asked, "Should you be standing up?"

"We should probably find a more defensible location than this, right?" He asked, gesturing towards the damp, dark, yet comparatively open forest edge. "Can't do that if I'm lying on the ground."

"Don't push yourself. You'll indubitably need your strength for the second part of the exam. It wouldn't do for you to slow me down." Her words were harsher than her tone, giving off a distinct impression that she was looking out for him rather than warning him.

"Thank you for looking after me, Victoria." Lucien said, bowing his head towards her. "You've really helped me today."

She shook her head. "And apparently I must keep doing so. Sit down. You are tired." She nodded towards the base of a nearby tree, her tone indicating there was no use in opposing her. "Less than one hour remains. We may as well wait here; chances are we would run into an opposing team while searching for a better location. We only need to keep an eye on Hildegard and Oda, who are still resting at the beach, and we should be fine." Crossing her arms under her chest and having one leg crossed over the other, she looked almost comfortable sitting on the large tree root, leaning against the thick, dark brown trunk, but her blue eyes were as sharp as ever, shining like ocean's surface on a sunny day. Just like this examination was important to him, Victoria was looking for a resounding victory.

Without saying anything, Lucien dropped his shoulder, then sat down at the base of a nearby tree, sighing loudly. Putting on a brave front was meaningless; he felt better, but right now he would need every minute of rest to get ready for the challenges to come. Feeling like he relied too much on Francesco and Luna, the black-haired man was now starting to worry that Victoria felt like she was babysitting him. One day, hopefully soon, he'd be more capable and reliable, but it was clear he still had a long way to go. Furthermore, if Mrs Reed was watching them closely, as she had said she would, Lucien worried that his performance today wouldn't meet her expectations, which gave him all the more reason to compensate during the next round.

Thankfully, Hildegard and Oda soon left the beach, heading back to the forest the opposite direction from which they had come, moving away from Lucien and Victoria. With their departure, it became that much easier to breathe, and while the possibility of being attacked still loomed over them, it became increasingly unlikely that they would be discovered before noon. Chances were that other groups were tired as well, or far away from them. The whole ordeal had been more taxing on Lucien's nerves than he would have anticipated, the unpredictable nature of the examination and the wild forest in which it took place constantly kept him on edge. Even though they had only been here for three and a half hours, it had felt considerably longer, and it was only now that he was able to lower his guard. 

It also helped that it didn't feel like Victoria would strangle him for speaking at this point. While it still felt like he was walking on thin ice when talking to her, the remaining time passed peacefully. No one was approaching them, only the burbling of the river and the rustling of the leaves were heard while they waited. 

Taking out his pocket watch, Lucien saw it hit twelve o'clock, and right on cue, a faint, green arrow appeared on their golden orb, pointing eastward. 

"We did it." Lucien said, relieved. "I think...?"

Victoria stood up, channeling dyra into the sphere and picked it up. It levitated above the palm of her hand, casting a golden light over her flawless features. Moving her hand back and forth, she said, "No matter how I hold the orb, the arrow points in the same direction, like a compass pointing north." Adjusting her black thigh high socks and straightening her skirt with her free hand, she continued, "There is little doubt it is pointing us towards the next stage of the examination."

The black-haired man stood up as well, relieved over how easy it was now. Like his teammate had said, he was feeling almost as good as new, even if he'd rather not use any more magic today. "Well then, let's go."

"Will you be alright?" She asked, looking ahead rather than at him, her tone looking for an objective answer rather than showing pity for him. 

"I'll manage. Can't let the team down, after all." 

Victoria began walking immediately, her steps determined and her eyes never diverting from the path ahead of them. "Good. Let me know if you need a break." 

And with that, they made their way towards the second part of the examination. Lucien had mentally prepared and was ready for whatever would come his way. Rather than wasting energy on being nervous, he was hoping to see Luna and Francesco waiting there for him already. No doubt today's events would also have given them some stories to tell – maybe he ought to ask them to share their tales over a dinner of southern cuisine?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah, this examination spiraled out of control. I hadn't planned three chapters, but then I thought this was a lot of fun to write, so I did. Next one will be the end of the examination though and have a much different challenge, so I hope you'll look forward to it. 
> 
> A few more pieces to the puzzle that is the cast have fallen into place. I hope the core cast in particular is interesting and that you want to find out more about them.
> 
> As always, please let me know what you thought of the chapter down below. Your support means the world to me.


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